介绍:
Michael Butterworth: A new trend of employees being allowed to take unlimited days off is sparking heated debate. Companies like Virgin, Netflix, GE and Twitter all allow employees to take as many vacation days in a year as long as they meet their deadlines. While some have called the practice revolutionary, not everyone is on board with the policy. Last year a US based publishing company tried out the policy only to scrap it after complaints from employees. So, is this the future of managing successful employees, or is it just too far-fetched to work? Well, it certainly sounds great, doesn't it, having unlimited days off within a year, but is the reality not as rosy as it seems, Lincoln?
Lincoln Van der Westhuizen: Well, it seems that some employees would actually say so. In terms of actually just going against the, kind of the work culture that a lot of people are most used to. What happened in the Chicago-based publishing company was actually that the employees were very used to having a certain number of days at the end of the year where they can actually be paid out for them and that kind of goes out the window, its rendered redundant, if you have unlimited vacation days. So, in that way employees were complaining as well. There has kind of been a kind of a cynical viewpoint of it, as well, because most, most employees actually end up taking less vacation days, which is actually quite interesting because psychologically people think, oh, is it okay if I can take enough, and you know, whenever you're in a meeting, in a really long meeting, and you wonder, what is the opportune time to excuse myself. Imagine that over the course of a year, when is the opportune time that I can take two weeks off.
Michael Butterworth: But maybe, it should, it should be pointed out that you can't just…take the afternoon off because you feel like it. [Lincoln: No, no.] You do still in many of these cases, you do still have to request the leave, and I believe it can be denied as well.
Lincoln Van der Westhuizen: It can be denied and, most employers that, most employers would actually ask you a day ahead of time as well to kind of apply for it. And they also have the right to deny it and it's not like something that you just get all the way, [be]cause I think you have a base pay, you don't have necessarily your full salary during the time that you are taking the vacation. But, the idea's kind of to put the onus and the responsibility on you.
Michael Butterworth: And it's interesting that we're talking about this in China, because China's in the national, you know, statutory holiday allowance, is among the smaller of countries allowances. I think Brazil has the most with about forty, if you include all the public holidays. What do you think Wu You? Do you think this sort of scheme would work in Chinese companies, or would it just be too difficult to implement?
Wu You: I think it depends on which area it is in, because we can see the companies like Virgin, Netflix, and Twitter besides the General Electric, all these other three companies, they're all tech companies or IT companies, so in that case their working hour[s] can be more flexible. And, Lincoln has mentioned, I'm so curious about that. You said people end[s] up taking less vacation than they usually would, after this policy is implemented, right?
Lincoln Van der Westhuizen: Yeah, and that's because it has to do with, kind of the social pressure of working hard and being seen to work hard by your superiors as well. Which, obviously has a lot to do with, how much money you get to take home at the end of the month. But, I'd actually disagree with you. I'd say that it’s actually more prominent in results-based companies. If the only goal is, [the] task is done at the end of the day, then the employer would really not care how long it takes.
