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FARMINGTON — A handful of companies have recently adopted "unlimited vacation" policies, including Netflix, Virgin Airways and now a company here in Utah. PluralSight believes that in the "no-fear" culture it has cultivated, there's no need for a strict time-off policy.
"We just decided to trust people and that they're going to do the right thing, and then we don't have to have all those rules," said President and CEO Aaron Skonnard.
As PluralSight went through a growth spurt this year, its rule book actually shrunk. Founders of the company that develops and markets tech and creative online training courses concluded that their employees are "truth seekers, entrepreneurs and eternal optimists." In that culture, they saw no need for a strict time-off policy.
Max Brown, PluralSight's vice president of culture, said, "We actually encourage people to take time off. We believe that people will bring their best work when they're charged."
Skonnard seconds that sentiment, emphasizing that, "We trust our people, let them take off the time they need and have a healthy and a balanced lifestyle."
Health issues sidelined software developer Jim Cooper this summer. He underwent emergency surgery and recovered quickly without the stress or fear of taking too much time off. Jim recalled his days in the hospital, saying, "I remember a few days after the surgery, just laying in bed, just realizing how grateful I was that I didn't have to worry about time off."
There were also "no" worries for graphic designer Emily Roeder when she took time off this summer to travel out of state for several weddings.
"Even going and visiting these places inspires you and you come back to work feeling more creative, and more energetic and, I don't know, it's really unique," Roeder said.
We just decided to trust people and that they're going to do the right thing, and then we don't have to have all those rules.
–President and CEO Aaron Skonnard
It's so unique, apparently, that only 1 percent of U.S. companies have an unlimited vacation policy in place. Why aren't these generous plans taking off? Well, one argument against them is that some workers refuse to take time off. Statistics compiled by Glassdoor in a 2014 Employment Confidence Survey shows that 40 percent of employees take less than a quarter of their allotted vacation time. Another issue raised by critics is that time off costs companies and if no one is watching the bottom line, those expenses could spiral out of control.
At PluralSight, leadership believes unlimited vacation, elimination of sales commissions and competitive employee of the month programs are all part of a culture that keeps employees happy and the costs of constant turnover down.
"A lot of people in a lot of jobs feel like they're in a 'desk sentence,' like they're not happy in their jobs, and a lot of that is because of the culture around them and how inspired they are to be at work every day," said Skonnard.
Cooper returned to work inspired after he was given all the time he needed to get his health back.
"Because I didn't have to worry about it and I was so grateful for it, I felt more anxious to get back to work and get back as soon as possible to show my gratitude," Cooper said.
Brown believes that, "What we do here (at PluralSight) is we just foster, we guide, we nurture, we support." And Skonnard predicts a company culture like PluralSight's that promotes trust and optimism will guide many businesses deep into the 21st century.
"The end goal is not about just making more money," Skonnard said. "It's about changing people's lives."
