The Benefits of Unlimited PTO
I just took my first vacation using CSG’s unlimited PTO policy. Being able to take the time off without worrying about counting every hour made my trip to Portugal so much more enjoyable. I hiked to the schist villages in the Serra da Lousã, perused a historic bookstore in Porto, and toured vineyards in the Douro Valley; all completely disconnected from the outside world.
For companies that sincerely value employees’ work-life balance, unlimited PTO is a gift. It signifies that an organization trusts employees will not abuse the system.
They way it works is that workers still submit a request for time off, but as long as it is reasonable, managers will approve the personal days. This places more decision making power in the hands of employees about how to use their time off.
In theory this all sounds great. There are cons, however. Without accrued time, you will not get paid out your balance of personal days when leaving an organization. Also, if the workplace culture is a grind, there might be pressure on you not to take advantage of time off. Managers need to clearly communicate the expectations to their team.
To me, unlimited PTO grants a level of autonomy that makes me feel valued. This is a competitive benefit, right up there with healthcare and retirement contributions, that organizations like Netflix, LinkedIn, and CSG were smart to adopt.
Overall, I am so glad that unlimited PTO is a part of my benefits package!
BTW, my partner and I travel A LOT. Here are some other epic holidays we’ve taken.
