Unlimited PTO is Out, Mandatory PTO is in

I used to only take time off when I had a vacation planned — and when I wasn’t traveling somewhere, why take time off? But even in the most “normal” of times, an unlimited, untracked PTO policy often meant no PTO. And in pandemic times, it became even worse. With nowhere to go, I (and my teammates) simply weren’t taking time off.

So, it was time to update our PTO policy at Chatbooks. “Unlimited PTO” is out and “Mandatory PTO” is in. Everyone is required to take 1 continuous week off per quarter to disconnect & recharge. It’s the player’s job to take it, the coach’s job to encourage it, and HR’s job to track it.

“Unlimited PTO” often resulted in many team members never taking a meaningful stretch of time off to disconnect and reset from work, leading to side effects of burnout over time (I’m the prime example). We found it wasn’t enough to just keep taking a day off here or there.

So now that chunk of time, 5 continuous business days per quarter, is expected and tracked. We still have unlimited flexibility for short cycle stuff to balance our personal lives. Grown Up is our first cultural value and we trust everyone to manage their time and their workload.

For me, this meant squeezing my Q3 MTO week in last minute. I biked up the canyon, hiked a peak behind my house, took the kids out into the country, etc. Requiring a week of MTO doesn’t mean you have to take a lavish or faraway vacation. Just disconnect for a week. The beach or your backyard, it doesn’t matter.

As a Q4-heavy consumer business, it is “All Hands On Deck” from Oct 1st thru Dec 23rd, so we all blackout that time and instead take our “MTO” together after the holiday — a two week Winter Break to reset after the busy season. And sure, sometimes someone’s school or family schedule might mean they’re taking their Q1 MTO week in April instead of March. But the general theme holds: taking full blocks of time off on a regular basis.

I’m excited to see the cultural impact of “Mandatory PTO” over time. The objective is to more consistently manage our mental and emotional health, and avoid the burnout that comes from going long stretches without ever really using PTO that’s supposedly “unlimited”. And for us, that’s good for our team, good for our families, and good for Chatbooks.