Congratulations to Microsoft employees on your new four day workweek. Oh, you can't take every Friday off? Why, that would imply that it's not "unlimited" so much as it is "a scam to not have to pay out unused PTO when you depart the company."
Tom Warren
 @tomwarren
11 Jan 2023
scoop: Microsoft employees are getting unlimited time off. Microsoft will no longer require US employees to formally record vacation later this month, and they're getting a payout for any unused days. Details here: theverge.com/2023/1/11/23550…

Jan 11, 2023 · 7:37 PM UTC

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Replying to @QuinnyPig
I feel like I'm the only person who LIKES unlimited PTO. If I have a set amount, I am miserly with it because I always wonder, "but what if I need to suddenly take weeks off?" If it's unlimited, I just take a day off when I want to. It's fantastic.
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Sure--but you and I both swim in waters where we're accustomed to justifying doing something with what basically amounts to "because I say so." Not everyone is so lucky.
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Replying to @QuinnyPig
At that point, why stop at a four day week?
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Because to the corporate mind "take every day off" is easily dismissed with an eye-roll, whereas "four day workweek" is a very credible threat.
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Replying to @QuinnyPig
The spin on the headline is WILD
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Replying to @QuinnyPig
I've never believed these "unlimited" PTO perks. In the UK, standard is 20-25 days a year + 6 to 7 public holidays that everyone gets. That's it. I can't see ANY profit making firm authorising 3 day or 4 day weeks just because employees feel like it. There will be a limit.
Replying to @QuinnyPig @chzbrgr71
the main reason people wouldn't take every Friday off is if the rest of their team isn't taking it off: could be an easy way to normalise a four day week across a team
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Replying to @QuinnyPig
"Unlimited" is short for "Limited, but we're not going to tell you the limit."
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Replying to @QuinnyPig
I've never seen people take less time off then when working at a place with unlimited PTO. The only way I could see it working without burn out is if paired with mandatory minimal PTO per year/quarter or similar.
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Replying to @QuinnyPig
Guess who approves all PTO. Your manager Guess what your manager's new metric is. You guessed it PTO taken in their department Guess who's never, ever going to approve your PTO
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Replying to @QuinnyPig
@QuinnyPig agreed. This is a liability and tax ploy as far as I'm concerned, not a benefit for employees. At very few companies who have this system can one actually take much time off without feeling the shame that comes with it. Unlimited PTO? BS
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Replying to @QuinnyPig
I would be very very surprised if "# of vacation days taken" is not part of perf. Also, while noting that it was pathological, the joy of being oncall at Google was getting an extra 7 weeks of official vacation.
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Replying to @QuinnyPig
A few years ago my company got a new CEO who was going to “turn things around”. There was lots of enthusiasm towards him, until he announced they were going to unlimited pto and wouldn’t do payouts. The revolt was so strong he flip flopped and was gone a few months later.
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Replying to @QuinnyPig
And also with this model you have to ask manager about every time you take off versus just clicking a box and using days you’ve accrued
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Replying to @QuinnyPig
There's also the whole thing where taking time off is basically part of your personal relationship with your boss. And not something he HAS TO give you
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Replying to @QuinnyPig
Friday is my overflow day. I have a standing all day meeting that blocks new invites. Once I’m done with anything left over I’m done. I try to work backwards from “how so I get everything done by Thursday.”
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Replying to @QuinnyPig
<insert Admiral Ackbar line here>
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Replying to @QuinnyPig
Strange way to frame this considering almost every org requires some type of approval to take PTO. I would never interpret “unlimited” as “take off whenever you want,” that just seems silly.
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Replying to @QuinnyPig
Not if you take your unlimited time off all at once.
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Replying to @QuinnyPig
The real reason is age discrimination - they have older employees burn all their PTO in a short window to alienate them from the company.
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Replying to @QuinnyPig
In WA, only "Vacation" time has to be paid out when you leave, "PTO" does not.
Replying to @QuinnyPig
...wait, how are they going to payout unused days if they're not recorded formally?
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Replying to @QuinnyPig
I don't see why this immediately turned into a scam because of the lost PTO payout at layoff. I got 15 days PTO, so isn't that the max I could lose? And if you have more years, how much PTO could you save up? I thought 20 max. I still believe it's a good thing, if used correctly
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Replying to @QuinnyPig
They could potentially solve this by offering an involuntary severance-like package for when you leave the company. If you’re there for a year you get a week, up to something like a maximum of say 3 weeks pay for x years (5 seems reasonable).
Replying to @QuinnyPig
Exactly. I had that problem with Salesforce.
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