Microsoft has announced that some US workers will get unlimited vacation.
Starting in January 2023, the new initiative, which the company calls “discretionary leave,” will only apply to salaried workers in the United States. A Microsoft spokesman said TechRadar Pro:
“As of January 16, 2023, Microsoft is updating our vacation policy to a more flexible model and moving to discretionary leave (DTO). How, when, and where employees do their jobs has changed dramatically and the DTO is consistent with more flexible ways of working.”
Unlimited Holiday for Microsoft
On top of unlimited vacation, workers are also reported to take advantage of 10 corporate holidays, leaves of absence, sick and mental leave, and time off for jury duty or bereavement.
With the change taking effect so quickly, workers with any unreserved leave are said to be paid a one-time payout based on how many days they have remaining, and are expected to arrive in April 2023.
While this news sounds promising, there are still many workers who will not benefit from the company’s decision to offer unlimited vacation. Those include hourly workers and any workers outside the United States, which Microsoft says is thanks to various federal, state, and international employment laws.
An unlimited vacation policy could unlock a happier work environment, which Microsoft hopes to capitalize on after a decision to allow many of its employees to work remotely (or form a hybrid routine).
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