PTO limits & team spirit

Does an unlimited PTO policy really work? Any recommendations or guidelines for making its use more equitable? When should a request not be approved?  Thanks!

Context: Company size: 21 FT employees. Hybrid work – same 2 days in office for everyone. Nonprofit arts org. No requests are being denied, and 1 employee took off 21 days in Q1! Work is getting done, but the policy was meant to support wellness and freedom from random limits rather than to be a license to work as little as possible.  And the people with the greatest loads (leadership) use it the least.

Alex Clermont, Director of People & Culture at Steppingstone:

These are common issues with unlimited time off, and my personal opinion is that the grand majority of companies are not able to institute it in a way that is equitable and actually meets the goals of instituting it in the first place.

In *theory*, this should work out naturally – if someone is taking a lot of time off their work won’t get done and that’s a natural consequence. But it rarely works that way. However, I would take a look at the person who took 21 days off in Q1: Is their work getting done, and getting done to the standard you would expect? Is being available and reachable x amount of the time a stated or unstated expectation of their role? If this person had a great amount of down time during working hours, what would they be expected to do with that time? Is that work getting done? If not, is it still important work that needs to be completed just not with a high level of urgency, and if so when will it get done?

The only way to answer some of these questions is to let it genuinely play out for a year and then do a retrospective on all the questions of impact and productivity – and I actually do recommend that. If you rolled this out recently (I can’t tell, I’m going by your Q1 comment), give it time. If it’s been a year, genuinely look at both your company metrics and qualitative data about how workloads have been impacted – including if people are being left picking up the slack for others.

In my opinion the only way to make unlimited PTO work is to, well, impose limits. I prefer calling it “flexible PTO” and figuring out what some common sense limitations would be in order for your company and staff to feel supported and still enjoy the benefits of a less rigorous time off policy.

It’s much easier to adjust these things with data to point to, so I’d get your data in order first.

Joanna LaBounty, VP of People Operations at Reach University:

Unlimited PTO sounds like the dream: take all the time you need, whenever you want. But in practice? It’s a little more complicated. I love it for the flexibility and autonomy – trusting grown-ups to act like grown-ups is always a win. But I hate the murky parts, like the need for manager approval (this makes it subjective and can lead to troubles) and the fact that people often don’t use it as much as they should.

Here’s how we approach it at our university:

• Set Norms: We give folks a sense of what “reasonable” PTO looks like, so it’s not a guessing game.
• Busy Times: We limit PTO during “all hands on deck” periods when workloads are high.
• Track It: We track PTO in our HRIS – not to micromanage, but to spot issues like burnout or imbalance.
• Talk About It: Seriously, we talk about it a lot. Clear communication helps avoid drama.

The big challenge? Balancing fairness with autonomy. Some people hesitate to use PTO at all, while others push the limits. Creating a culture where people feel safe using it – but don’t overdo it – is key.

So, does it work? Maybe, with the right culture, clear norms, and some intentional management. But is it perfect? Nope. That’s why it’s a love-hate thing for me.

Danielle Maddox, Director of HR @ Amos House:

We instituted an unlimited PTO policy at my former employer. We experienced similar issues with staff either abusing or not really using it at all. The solution I presented to managers was to provide some ideas of what an “abuse” of PTO looks like, keep an eye on it, and be proactive in communicating the PTO policy to 1) ensure that all staff are aware of the PTO policy and 2) to communicate when issues are arising.

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Any ideas for monthly Employee Engagement activities that can be planned remotely across several sites and across 4 shifts (including overnight)? I’m struggling to find ideas that employees won’t scoff at. Thanks!

Context: Company size 28,000, my Business Unit has less than 1,000. Manufacturing industry.

Kathy Bryan, EVP Head of Marketing @ Electives:

Remote, multi-shift engagement can be tough! Here are a few ideas that might work across sites and shifts:

Interactive Learning Events: Organize expert-led, live virtual sessions on diverse topics – something fun (like cooking or songwriting) or keep it more practical with topics like financial wellness and feedback frameworks. Rotate topics monthly to keep them fresh.

Recognition Spotlight: Create a monthly “Spotlight Hour” where employees across shifts nominate and celebrate colleagues for their contributions. Use a shared platform for real-time shoutouts.

Team Challenges: Try asynchronous activities like photo contests (‘What’s on your desk?’ or ‘Best weekend adventure’) or trivia challenges, with winners announced during all-shift meetings.

Shift Exchange Conversations: Host cross-shift “coffee chats” or Q&A sessions where employees from different shifts connect to share perspectives. Helps build understanding and camaraderie.

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