Unlimited Leave - er just how

[Amperoblue]

Not a TAAT but a subject that came up.
So how does it work?
My interpretation is you ask your manager and they approve or deny dependent on workload.

My questions are ;
How do you not feel hard done by when someone gets more time than off than you. You get paid the same regardless if you do 35 or 45 weeks.
What happens when your 2 weeks get vetoed because everyone else booked it Do you get first dibs on your next dates?
What happens if you don't take enough holiday. Do you get paid for the 28 days you should get as a minimum?
How can you tell if someone hates the job/ struggling in general and is just taking time off to avoid it and the work hard play hard person - what's the sick pay like?

The way I understand it, the kind of projects people get to work on are highly interesting and engaging. For the kind of people they want to attract, this kind of work will be much more interesting than anything they get to do at home.

So, leave us available but people will probably only take it when they have to, for family occasions etc.

Not sure how it will work in decades to come, but that's how it works with the current generation.

"I'll take the rest of the year off, please" 😃

Most people I know who work for companies with unlimited leave have to be forced to take the statutory minimum because they love their jobs so much.

Man, I want a job I love this much.

What kind of jobs are we talking about?

The ones I know are Tech / FinTechs although I work for a charity and most of my team also have to be forced to take their annual leave allowance but I think that's partly because people can't afford holidays so think it's a waste of time to take annual leave.

In the US, where unlimited leave is much more common, studies repeatedly show that people take less holiday on this system than they do if they have a set number of days.

It's also a big accounting bonus for the company- untaken leave is a liability on the balance sheet that this eliminates. Plus it means they don't pay you out for any untaken leave when you resign.

My company has this stupid initiative.

I am pretty sure there is irrefutable psychological evidence (and probably engagement with a very expensive HR company) to support the fact employees take less leave under this type of scheme for my company to have adopted it.

I'm PT so don't qualify but there were emails sent around from various line managers suggesting people "stick closely to their previous contracted annual leave allowance" and you still have to book the actual time and have it approved so its still tracked to a degree.

Generally their role is dependent on others- so no-one to need to co-ordinate with

I’m in tech and have this.

I have 20 days AL taken this year (+ bank hol) - my colleagues in my team range from 15-35 days.

I think it wildly varies tbh, some take loads, some not at all. I could easily take more based on my workload but instead I just have quiet days at home doing as I please.

However for a colleague who’s on maternity, you get 2 months normal but he’s using unlimited leave to have some extra time off.

We had a massive accounting issue due to PTO because it doesn’t get recorded, people just go off. This meant when people left they received holiday pay as if they’d taken none. Our accrual was so difficult this year.

Yes I work in the finance team haha

We’re also closed 2 weeks at Xmas. I will ALWAYS ensure I take 5 weeks off, I have in all jobs. I also have this 2 weeks, I say I take 7-8 weeks a year.

We have unlimited leave in my team and I really like it. I don't have to book holiday, I just tell my manager I'm taking time off and then I take it. I took just over 6 weeks last year and I'll probably take a bit more this year. I think it's a bit about give and take, but I also love my job so I don't want to take that much annual leave.

I was in a male legal partnership that had this for twenty years pre my appointment.

Absolutely ridiculous, a competitive who works hardest nonsense.

Also a great amount of lies. Working from home. One call.

I remember sitting in a meeting where one guy harped on he had worked 365 days. Taking one call from police on Christmas Day.

So had we all probably, days "off" from email and phone were unheard of. But always recorded as such if you gave advance notice.

Yes I can’t see how this works for the company at all. Even if its to hire/recruit/ retain the best. There will always be new blood and fresh talent.

@mynameiscalypso My DH is freelance (aka self employed) in a fabulous job that requires specific skills. It’s very lucrative, he works with every, rich, influential and famous person going. If he wants time off he says no to a job and the next available person gets it. Industry sets its rate and it always goes up. The companies involved are always looking to bring him and his peers in house on a salary but no one ever does.

If the job is that good and doesn’t need round the clock work I don’t get why people are being employed. Surely you just all go freelance and then you can ask for more money whilst having time off when you like.

The only people I know who have this kind of AL entitlement arrangement work in sales or recruitment. Jobs where performance based bonuses make up a large percentage of their remuneration package.

I think a lot of people actively don't want to be self-employed and prefer being employed for other benefits unrelated to annual leave (healthcare, pension, job security).

My DH worked in a previous job with unlimited annual leave. When it came to redundancies the boss took a list of what leave people had taken, sorted it from highest to lowest, then started cutting positions. Really not legal but difficult to prove! Luckily DH hadn't taken much leave, but he did leave soon after of his own accord.

DH used to work in software sales and had 'unlimited leave', even though whenever he let his manager know he'd be off they'd make him feel guilty and flag that he'd had x amount as if this was a bad thing at reviews (he took a standard amount tbh nothing wild)..

I have 10 weeks annual leave a year. But quite frankly they might as well give me unlimited leave because there are so many restrictions about how and when I take my leave it’s almost impossible to take. I only managed 2 weeks last year.

Yes I understand. However if you know the industry pays enough you can can do most of that stuff on your own.

I guess maybe sales it might work although surely there’s the pressure that someone else does well whilst you’re resting on your laurels.

To be fair it sounds like something that’s never designed for the U.K.
Sorry @Temporaryanonymity. Hope your next holiday is amazing.

In my company it is focused on commission making roles.

people in commission based roles are on the way to self employment in the way no close no pay.

therefore unlimited annual leave means nothing to me.

I find that very sad.