My current job has unlimited PTO, but it’s not called unlimited. It’s called “discretionary” time off. And I think that’s an OK term for it. You don’t have a limit to your vacation/sick days, but you have to be a professional about it and not let things fall apart at work.
I’m fortunate in that we mostly work as a team and treat each other as human beings, even including the project manager and our direct management. So it can be alright at a good place. For example, we were asked our vacation plans for the quarter and I decided to add an extra day to a decent short break, and I gave myself a week long staycation next month.
But no limit also means no minimum, so of course the shittier places will use it to make things worse.
Is PAID Time Off ever unlimited?
Yeah, it’s a real thing at some companies.
You have to guess how much you can get away with?
Exactly. If a company tells me that I get unlimited time off then tell me when the Christmas party is because I’m on PTO until then.
My current job has unlimited PTO, but it’s not called unlimited. It’s called “discretionary” time off. And I think that’s an OK term for it. You don’t have a limit to your vacation/sick days, but you have to be a professional about it and not let things fall apart at work.
I’m fortunate in that we mostly work as a team and treat each other as human beings, even including the project manager and our direct management. So it can be alright at a good place. For example, we were asked our vacation plans for the quarter and I decided to add an extra day to a decent short break, and I gave myself a week long staycation next month.
But no limit also means no minimum, so of course the shittier places will use it to make things worse.
It becomes a negotiation every time you want to use it. It’s terrible unless you’re good at haggling over your own wellbeing.