According to an internal memo, staff at Microsoft in the US can take unlimited time off from next week under a new “Discretionary Time Off” policy.
The perks
The new norms come into effect from January 16 and include not just unlimited vacation days but also 10 corporate holidays, leaves for sickness, bereavement and even jury duty.
Fresh recruits don’t have to wait for their vacation days to accrue and for those with unused vacation time, employees will receive a payout in April.
Only for US employees
However not all can enjoy the new perks, since Microsoft’s hourly workers or those based outside of the US are excluded due to differing laws and regulations.
Chief people officer Kathleen Hogan said that because the nature of work has changed drastically, a more flexible vacation policy was the natural next step for the company.
Corporate generosity
The flexible vacation policy is the latest in a string of measures unveiled by Microsoft in the pandemic era.
In 2021, it had announced a $1,500 bonus for US-based and international employees.
On the topic of work from home, it said it was not committed to having every employee work from anywhere.
Work from home debate
They said, “We believe there is value in employees being together in the workplace,”
Microsoft is not the only big tech to reject the value of work from home.
Many companies have said there’s no “one size fits all” approach without outright rejecting or accepting a remote work policy.
However, there are workplaces that are becoming increasingly liberal with time-off, with some extending vacation days and offering childcare leaves to male employees.
Progressive step
For example, last week, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced 12-week paternity leave for its employees in India.
In its own words, “We believe the future of a progressive workspace will be defined by practices that harness a people-first approach.
The 12-week paternity leave policy will most certainly enable our male colleagues and their partners to cherish the experience and joyful moments of parenthood.”
