Why Unlimited Paid Time Off Worked For Us

By Yanna Solace Adofina

Taking time off work often feels like a socially unsanctioned activity, doesn’t it? You know all too well the feeling of your coworkers silently begging you “please don’t go”, as you prepare your blank space in the office and be out of the woods for a few days. Now imagine cranking it up to eleven with a fearless out-of-office message saying you’ll be back by next year. Only in your wildest dreams? Not really, because what you're looking for has been here (in this article) the whole time ;)

A few months ago, I remember having to pluck up some courage to request for some time off because of my recurring leg pain and rising anxiety issues. I even verbally filed this under a couple of days personal time off, as I felt ridiculous asking for sick days off just for leg cramps and a bad case of nerves. Our lifelab co-founders Lisa and Hannes had to remind me (gently, again and again) that experiencing all these things meant that I was truly sick, and I should file my days off as it is. They also reassured me that I should only go back to work when I’m truly well and able to work. As someone who has worked corporate for so long, I’m still used to the arrangement of having twelve sick leaves for visible, major illnesses that necessitate a hospital stay; and the other ten days for personal time off for all other minor life inconveniences. Going on vacation? I can already hear the HR telling me, ``Yanna, that's what your weekends are for!”.

So when I started at lifelab three years ago, imagine my shock when I first heard of this seemingly “new-fangled” benefit. Besides all the other perks, unlimited paid time off (PTO) has always been available for anyone to use since the company started out in 2015. But it was only during the last couple of years that we truly understood and maximized this perk. Some of us have gone on overseas camping trips and made for off-the-grid mountains. Some of us just barricaded ourselves in our room with mugs of coffee and stacks upon stacks of books --- that would be me, by the way :)

How did we make unlimited personal time off work for us? For starters, we confer with our team members regarding the generally accepted range of paid time off days for the year. For the past year, some of us have taken two weeks, while others have taken three to four weeks. But starting 4Q 2021 we are taking it to a newer level, where PTO can take as long as one to three months. We are able to make this happen by making sure all of the important work is done, so we don’t burden any of the other team members. If there are any remaining tasks, we make it easier by orienting and delegating them as necessary.

Not only has unlimited PTO worked tremendously well for us, it also just made sense for the following reasons:

IT MADE SENSE FOR EACH TEAM MEMBER’S OVERALL WELLBEING

All of us got to rest and rejuvenate; to take time for ourselves to chase personal pursuits. A significant amount of time away from work duties helps boost productivity and prevent burnout. Upon return, each of us come into the office with more inspiration and energy to pursue future projects.

IT MADE SENSE AS EACH TEAM MEMBER VALUES THE CULTURE OF RESPONSIBILITY AND TRUST.

Years of great teamwork and honest communication has made our bond strong. We have full confidence with each other that we will use this benefit appropriately. To be honest, we all get excited for the team member going on vacation, to the point that we eagerly wait for their social media updates!

IT MADE SENSE ECONOMICALLY

Besides not having to pay unused PTO days, recruitment and retention are lesser things for us to worry about. As this is not a standard benefit offered in the industry, we are all fiercely proud that this is something we offer in lifelab.

Sounds too good to be true? You and your team can try it out for yourselves. It’s a great idea to open up to the head of your team in the next big meeting. Your team could set this up  temporarily for a year, gather feedback from everyone involved, and adjust parameters as necessary. Should this office experiment provide unfortunate results, there is always the option to revert back to regular programming.

In the end, unlimited PTO may or may not work for you, depending on several variables. But this benefit is definitely worth looking into, as it does not require new office equipment or any other big monetary expense. It might look counterintuitive at first, but it is a stark reminder to all of us that we are not robots meant to work mindlessly day after day. We have real lives outside the office :  with worries to shake off and love stories to say yes to.