Employees love the idea of unlimited paid time off. Employees can take as much time off as they like! Visit the beach! Spend a week with grandma. No worries! They can still follow their favorite band all over the world.
It doesn’t really work like that.
Employees may get fewer vacation days (and not more)
The Wall Street Journal reports that employees with unlimited paid time off take 16 days on average per year compared to those with limited PTO. Previous studies have shown that those with unlimited PTO are less likely to take time off.
It’s not much extra time. Americans famously have fewer days available than their European counterparts — the European Union has a minimum requirement of four weeks off — and every year, <a href=”https://www.qpsemployment.com/2024/07/29/one-third-of-us-employees-vacation-days-go-unused/#:~:text=Nearly%20two%2Dthirds%20(62%25),by%20financial%20technology%20company%20Sorbet. The Americans leave one-third on the table. The culture of work doesn’t change when you have “unlimited” hours.
