While American employers may not be the world’s most generous when it comes to vacation, some are going in the opposite direction – letting their workers take unlimited time off. Employees at the Manhattan software consulting firm Bluewolf, for example, can take two weeks away or ten, as long as they stay on top of their work. The policy dates back to Bluewolf’s beginning in 2000, when co-founder Michael Kirven decided it might be a way to attract talented employees.
It’s paid off, according to Kirven, who says it’s been a deciding factor for candidates with competing offers.
“It keeps our employees happy and it keeps them here longer,” Kirven says. “We have basically zero turnover.”
Kirven expects to see more firms following suit, as does Business Week, which recently pointed to open vacation plans as a growing trend. Companies on the bandwagon include Netflix, Best Buy, and IBM, which stopped tracking employees’ vacation time over a decade ago.
Which is good news for employees – though it’s been noted that giving people unlimited time off as long as they get their work done is giving with one hand and taking with the other. And Kirven acknowledges it’s not quite the same as French-style laissez-faire.
“In their model it’s almost an entitlement,” he says. “Our model is based on performance.” – A.M.