Microsoft is offering unlimited time off for US staff.

Not always a great deal for employees, who might feel precarious about taking time off, and also don’t get paid for unused time off if they get laid off, fired, or leave of their own volition.

@MitchW Can people just stop coming to work saying they on unlimited vacation? And sue them if they get fired for that. Love to read the fine print on that policy.

@pratik We have a similar policy at my much smaller company. Agree with @MitchW, it can result in people not taking enough vacation, though we are pretty militant about getting people to take time off. If it's abused, well ... employment is at-will in this country 😕.

@esjewett So not really unlimited? ☺️

@pratik Right, most companies with these policies have "guidelines" in their employee handbooks. Definitely not really unlimited. We guide to 4-5 weeks, which is pretty good IMO.

@esjewett so if they say 5 weeks, everyone will take 5 weeks but if they say unlimited, then many would take fewer than 5. Relying on the employee’s guilt to make them work more. But such moves are often counterproductive to the company’s productivity or innovative practices