Unlimited PTO: Revolutionary or behind the times?
For big or small employers, and those in-between, consider this benefit that very well could outshine offering prospects and employees unlimited PTO.
Doesn’t everyone want unlimited paid time off (PTO)/? But what was once a coveted benefit isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
The latest Fortune 100 company to board the unlimited PTO train is Microsoft, which joins the likes of Salesforce, LinkedIn, Oracle and Netflix, among others.
The tech giant recently announced it has done away with its traditional paid vacation policy and moved to unlimited PTO for its U.S.-based salaried employees, which it has coined discretionary time-off. While this may seem like a big win for employees, research and observations from workplace experts suggest unlimited vacation is often, well, limiting.
Employees with such a benefit often take less time than workers who are provided a defined number of days, which they naturally see as a use-or-lose situation. Unlimited PTO isn’t really what it bills itself to be. For example, if you took three months of PTO annually, you’d likely vacation yourself right out of a job. Plus, when an employee leaves, the company gets away without paying for unused PTO days.
However, there are other benefits available to companies that show a much stronger correlation between productivity and greater employee satisfaction.
Prioritizing mental health reigns supreme
Even amid an economic downturn and potential recession, companies must provide more than a paycheck and PTO to attract and retain employees.
Pandemic-scarred workers want benefits that include mental, emotional and financial wellbeing. Of course, better pay helps attract candidates and retain employees. As does PTO since, in general, the United States lags behind its global counterparts in time off– especially in Europe.
Today, workers want better insurance that includes broader mental health coverage. They want flexibility in choosing not only where they work, but how they are compensated.
In 2023, burnout, anxiety and depression are at all-time highs. Productivity matters, but it plummets when employees are stressed. Mental health benefits help build a workforce that’s less anxious, happier and more content with their jobs.
Hard to take PTO when you can’t even make ends meet
At the same time, it would be remiss to omit the fact that 2023 employees are under financial pressure between a slowing economy, higher-than-normal inflation and prices, and tech sector layoffs.
PTO sounds great. And in many ways, it can be.
However, when employees are struggling mentally and financially, they might not have the capacity or ability to take a vacation. How can you take PTO and travel, for instance, when you can’t pay your bills?
Further in 2023, 72% of middle-income families report their earnings can’t keep up with the cost of living – let alone take PTO. A similar percentage – 74% – cannot save for the future. This contributes to decreased mental health and the residuals that come from it, like poorer on-the-job performance or missing shifts.
Pay employees immediately after a shift
Let’s get back to unlimited PTO. On the surface, it’s a dream. In reality, employees don’t always know how to optimize this benefit.
Perhaps there’s a better way to meet their needs. Higher pay would be welcomed, for sure. So, too, would providing employees with a modern way to pay them that trumps a bi-weekly payday.
On-demand pay enables today’s cash-strapped employees a method for paying their rent, bills and other obligations without waiting for a traditional payday. After working a shift, they immediately get access to their earned pay – which provides financial freedom.
Sure, unlimited PTO sounds great, but so is having the ability to get paid when you want, rather than waiting for your employer’s scheduled payday.
It’s modern and what today’s workforce desires. And it’s on-demand like so many other services –hailing a ride, getting groceries or food delivered or instantly paying a friend. Does on-demand pay grab the headlines like Microsoft’s unlimited PTO, which also coincides with major layoffs?
Related: Unlimited PTO benefits both employees and employers when managed properly
Perhaps not, but that doesn’t mean it deserves less attention.
For big or small employers, and those in-between, consider this benefit that very well could outshine offering prospects and employees unlimited PTO. On-demand pay benefits both employers and their employees.
Brian Radin, president of Comdata Prepaid