Is an Unlimited Vacation Policy the Right Choice for Your Business?

Hey fellow Steemians,

Today I want to talk about something a lot of us who spend time on Steemit are dealing with. We want more vacation, but seemingly can't ever get away from our computers.

Some employers have started giving their teams unlimited vacation each year. Few of them take it though.

Instead of offering a set number of days and keeping track of each worker’s time off, these companies trust workers to take control of their schedules.

But while this policy started with tech startups and small businesses, it may not be the best option for your own company, or for yourself. Before starting an unlimited vacation policy for your team, here are a few questions to ask.

Photo by Nad Hemnani on Unsplash.

Are employees overworked?

Unlimited vacation polices generally mandate that the employee discuss any upcoming leave with a supervisor. You'll have to discuss any ongoing projects or upcoming deadlines and assure superiors that the leave in question won’t interfere with your workload.

This requirement puts the burden on the employee to juggle work priorities to make sure everything is covered while he or she is away.

If the team is overloaded year-round, the benefits of an unlimited vacation policy may be completely lost on the company.

Workers may always feel guilty about taking time off and, as a result, never take it. Resentment will build and office morale will suffer. If you choose to go to an unlimited vacation model, watch for signs that your employees are refraining from asking for time off due to fear of your disapproval.

Do You Trust Your Employees?

Unlimited vacation policies understandably cause concern for some businesses. Namely, they want to know if their employees will abuse it.

Most businesses that have implemented this policy have actually found that workers tend to take less time off than they were allotted previously.

Unlimited vacation policies send a message to employees that they are in charge of their time. It encourages employees to take accountability for their own work, rather than simply punching a clock.

Inevitably, however, there will be an employee who can’t seem to handle this responsibility. If this happens, the employer can still discipline or terminate the worker based on poor performance and missed deadlines, rather than absenteeism.

If several employees begin abusing the policy, you can always return to restricted vacation time.

Does Your Business Have a Busy Season?

For businesses with traffic that ebbs and flows with the seasons, an unlimited vacation policy may be the ideal solution.

By telling employees that they can take time off as long as their work gets done, employers give workers license to take time off when traffic is a little lighter. In turn, employees don’t mind working hard most of the year when they know they’ll be able to take a beach vacation once business dies down.

There are several downsides to unlimited vacations though. A seasonal business may find that some employees ignore the busy season and still schedule vacations when business is at its peak, leaving non-vacationing staff stranded.

Even when business is slow or moderate, you may want to consider placing a restriction on vacation time to require particular departments to be adequately staffed. Your could also require team members to coordinate with each other using a scheduling calendar to avoid too many people being out of the office at the same time.

The bottom line is that an unlimited vacation policy can improve morale and office productivity, if it's done right.

As long as workers are responsible, this type of workplace can even operate more efficiently. If your business is still unsure this is the right choice for your environment, consider trying it on a short-term basis to see how employees react.

Thanks as always for your support here on Steemit. If you liked this writing, please check out some of my more recent work:

Who I am

The Healthy Entrepreneur:
Why Following Online Fitness Gurus is Just Making You Fat
How a Brief Meditation Session Can Energize Your Next Morning Staff Meeting
3 Weekend Getaway Ideas That Can Refresh Even the Busiest Worker

Social Media and Content Tips:
Need More Content Quickly? Offer a Poll
Why Too Many Social Media Accounts Can Hurt Your Brand

How to Be a Better Entrepreneur:
20 Businesses You Can Start for Less Than $20
4 Insanely Easy but Overlooked Tactics to Advance Your Entrepreneurial Career
There is No Tidy Way to Deal with a Hoarder on Your Staff
How to Pitch a Top Journalist Successfully

Creating a Better Career:
How to Partner Successfully With a Younger Boss
How to Keep Things From Getting Worse When Your Boss Starts Yelling at You
My Number One Hack for Staying Motivated in Work and Life (DTube)

Thanks again all for the support! If you would like to check out any of my previous work, go to my website or my Steemit blog.