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Unlimited PTO never actually means unlimited

Not going to name the company, so don't ask. It is, unsurprisingly, a US company. This is just another example of why unlimited PTO is just something companies tout to make themselves sound good without actually needing to give humane amounts of PTO. I work for a company that lures high-level professionals by classifying itself as an alternative to the high-stress, high-workload big firms. In exchange for a substantial pay cut, we get a life. Fair trade, by comparison. But one of those big draws was unlimited PTO and the fact that you won't be bothered during vacation. The company doesn't give us off for all national holidays, which is justified by pointing to the unlimited PTO policy. But, just recently, we got a policy update that basically restricts that PTO allowance to two weeks. We can take more time off, but after the first two weeks, it's expected that…


Not going to name the company, so don't ask. It is, unsurprisingly, a US company.

This is just another example of why unlimited PTO is just something companies tout to make themselves sound good without actually needing to give humane amounts of PTO.

I work for a company that lures high-level professionals by classifying itself as an alternative to the high-stress, high-workload big firms. In exchange for a substantial pay cut, we get a life. Fair trade, by comparison. But one of those big draws was unlimited PTO and the fact that you won't be bothered during vacation. The company doesn't give us off for all national holidays, which is justified by pointing to the unlimited PTO policy.

But, just recently, we got a policy update that basically restricts that PTO allowance to two weeks. We can take more time off, but after the first two weeks, it's expected that we'll meet all work deadlines without interruption when we “take advantage of unlimited PTO”. My job involves straight work-product generation, not client work or collaborative work, so there's no impact on anyone else if my work deadlines are pushed back, and the company itself admits that pushing deadlines back has minimal-to-no impact on the company as a whole.

I want to express my frustration and disappointment at my next check in with my supervisor, but I'm not even sure what to say. I know whatever I say will have no impact on the policy, so I'm not even sure it's worth it. I like the company a lot in other ways, but this feels like such a slap in the face. Especially because my partner, who works a high-level management job, and whose work has far more impact on his company's day-to-day than mine, gets 6 weeks of PTO and all national holidays off. He works for a British company, not an American one (shocker /s).

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