Richard Branson to offer unlimited holidays to staff

Defiler Of The Coffin · 25-09-2014 01:00PM #1

The boss of Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson, is offering his personal staff as much holiday as they want.

On his website, he said that his staff of 170 could "take off whenever they want for as long as they want".

He added that there was no need to ask for approval, nor say when they planned to return, the assumption being that the absence would not damage the firm.

Mr Branson said he was inspired by his daughter, who read about a similar plan at the online TV firm Netflix.

"It is left to the employee alone to decide if and when he or she feels like taking a few hours, a day, a week or a month off," wrote the billionaire.

"The assumption being that they are only going to do it when they feel 100% comfortable that they and their team are up to date on every project and that their absence will not in any way damage the business - or, for that matter, their careers!"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29356627

Would you like to see this implemented in your work place? I would love it! As long as it doesn't get abused of course.

cloud493 · 25-09-2014 01:02PM

How do you moderate that to ensure it ain't abused though?

Mrs Garth Brooks · 25-09-2014 01:02PM

Where do I apply?

Slunk · 25-09-2014 01:03PM

Great idea but don't think it would work in my place. Someone would ruin it by taking the piss, probably me tbh. Ah there's the sunshine. No work for me today, who's going for a few beers. Ah, everyone's working, except wait, my fellow workmates can take time off too. Recipe for disaster.

Lapin · 25-09-2014 01:05PM

Has Branson's idea ever been flown yet or is it still in the virgin stage ?

Rightwing · 25-09-2014 01:06PM

A bit like the public sector here then.

The Peanut · 25-09-2014 01:06PM

The boss of Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson, is offering his personal staff as much holiday as they want.

On his website, he said that his staff of 170 could "take off whenever they want for as long as they want".

He added that there was no need to ask for approval, nor say when they planned to return, the assumption being that the absence would not damage the firm.

Mr Branson said he was inspired by his daughter, who read about a similar plan at the online TV firm Netflix.

"It is left to the employee alone to decide if and when he or she feels like taking a few hours, a day, a week or a month off," wrote the billionaire.

"The assumption being that they are only going to do it when they feel 100% comfortable that they and their team are up to date on every project and that their absence will not in any way damage the business - or, for that matter, their careers!"

Fairly certain some county councils already have this in place.

Lapin · 25-09-2014 01:08PM

How would those in the public sector know the difference ?

Here we go.

Boskowski · 25-09-2014 01:08PM

There is never a good time to leave a project. It's a scam. You end up working more.

force eleven · 25-09-2014 01:11PM

How would those in the public sector know the difference ?

*Grabs Popcorn*:cool:

wretcheddomain · 25-09-2014 01:11PM

It's already in place for TDs in this country.

bear1 · 25-09-2014 01:12PM

Would these types of holiday leaves be paid?

Specialun · 25-09-2014 01:13PM

I think this would be a great idea in the public sector here

foggy_lad · 25-09-2014 01:13PM

Boskowski wrote: »

There is never a good time to leave a project. It's a scam. You end up working more.

Alll those staff will be on contracts as well and will want to be kept when their contract ends so they will not want to upset the apple cart.

shruikan2553 · 25-09-2014 01:14PM

bear1 wrote: »

Would these types of holiday leaves be paid?

This is what Im wondering. Being free to take whatever holidays you want for no pay seems fair to me. Otherwise it would be abused.

The Backwards Man · 25-09-2014 01:16PM

Very handy way of finding out who's worth their place in the firm and who isn't.

MRnotlob606 · 25-09-2014 01:18PM

Department of Social Protection ?

seamus · 25-09-2014 01:20PM

We've had it in our workplace since the start of this year. It's not revolutionary, some companies have been doing this for a couple of years now. Branson must have fed it to some friendly journos who thought it was newsworthy.

Abuse of the system can be measured and weeded out because all holidays still have to be approved and recorded. If someone's work throughput is poor and you can see they've taken 40 days annual leave this year, then you know there's a big problem.

This idea afaik began in the US, bizarrely, which is famous for companies giving employees like 3 days off a year. What they found was when employees were allowed take as much leave as they liked, the amount of leave people took actually dropped. This is because if your employment contract says you get 15 days holidays a year, the employee feels entitled to take these days without penalty or prejudice.
When you remove this guaranteed number, the employee feels like you're doing them a favour by giving them annual leave. And in the cut-throat workplaces of the US, employees became afraid of taking holidays lest they be passed over for promotion or otherwise be seen to be taking the piss.
As a result, someone who took their entitled 15 days last year only took 10 this year because of nods and winks and subtle nudges from bosses and co-workers that taking leave was frowned upon.

The same kind of attitude doesn't really exist in Europe, and employees are required to take a minimum no. of days regardless of an "unlimited" offer. So it'll be interesting to see how this plays out in European companies.

Specialun · 25-09-2014 01:30PM

seamus wrote: »

We've had it in our workplace since the start of this year. It's not revolutionary, some companies have been doing this for a couple of years now. Branson must have fed it to some friendly journos who thought it was newsworthy.

Abuse of the system can be measured and weeded out because all holidays still have to be approved and recorded. If someone's work throughput is poor and you can see they've taken 40 days annual leave this year, then you know there's a big problem.

This idea afaik began in the US, bizarrely, which is famous for companies giving employees like 3 days off a year. What they found was when employees were allowed take as much leave as they liked, the amount of leave people took actually dropped. This is because if your employment contract says you get 15 days holidays a year, the employee feels entitled to take these days without penalty or prejudice.
When you remove this guaranteed number, the employee feels like you're doing them a favour by giving them annual leave. And in the cut-throat workplaces of the US, employees became afraid of taking holidays lest they be passed over for promotion or otherwise be seen to be taking the piss.
As a result, someone who took their entitled 15 days last year only took 10 this year because of nods and winks and subtle nudges from bosses and co-workers that taking leave was frowned upon.

The same kind of attitude doesn't really exist in Europe, and employees are required to take a minimum no. of days regardless of an "unlimited" offer. So it'll be interesting to see how this plays out in European companies.

If the holidays have to be approved by the boss then how is it different from any other holiday request

seamus · 25-09-2014 01:40PM

Specialun wrote: »

If the holidays have to be approved by the boss then how is it different from any other holiday request

It's not. But you have no limit on how much you can take. So there's no system preventing you from submitting a request because you've run out of days, and you don't have to go grovelling to your boss or HR if you need to take more than the legal minimum 20 days.

pharmaton · 25-09-2014 01:40PM

https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation/transcript?language=en
Sounds a bit like this.

Also, they should do this in the public sector

Moist Mittens · 25-09-2014 02:16PM

Did someone already mention Public Sector?

cookie24 · 25-09-2014 02:19PM

I would guess he employs people with some common sense and decency, and probably pays well. I dont think it will be abused. Probably would be in other paces though.

Turtyturd · 25-09-2014 02:59PM

I work in the public sector and already have a system like this, all my private sector sucker mates are envious.

miss no stars · 25-09-2014 03:02PM

"The assumption being that they are only going to do it when they feel 100% comfortable that they and their team are up to date on every project and that their absence will not in any way damage the business - or, for that matter, their careers!"

That's the only bit that you need to pay attention to. If you're anything other than a public service employee... That time is probably never. You have to be 100% comfortable that nobody on your entire team is behind in any way, on any part of any project and that you going away can't do ANY damage to your career or to the company.

Big ask. Manipulative, even.

25-09-2014 03:05PM

I thing the important point is ....AND WONT DAMAGE THEIR CAREERS.

It a great idea and the fact that abusing it might damage you careers would be enough motivation for most people, in fact in a subtle way its very clever.

Philo Beddoe · 25-09-2014 03:13PM

miss no stars wrote: »

That's the only bit that you need to pay attention to. If you're anything other than a public service employee... That time is probably never. You have to be 100% comfortable that nobody on your entire team is behind in any way, on any part of any project and that you going away can't do ANY damage to your career or to the company.

Big ask. Manipulative, even.

Exactly. I work in a software company and our year is scheduled out over various releases we are doing, with various patches and fixes and other work filling up any potential down time. People are moved back and forward between projects where necessary, and we're never not busy.

If you want to take holidays you give your manager sufficient notice so that the lack of an engineer can be taken account of and covered for if necessary, in the knowledge that the company expects you to take every annual leave day you are and there is no way your absence would ever be held against you. I can only see Branson's proposed system meaning a reduction in days taken!

The Moldy Gowl · 25-09-2014 03:22PM

Has anyone made a public sector joke yet?

Akrasia · 25-09-2014 03:25PM

As others have said, this is a con

It could only work if you're in a job with no responsibilities that doesn't require you to be there, and then you're probably better off not taking any holidays because if you do, your boss will wonder why he's paying you to be there at all.

logically · 25-09-2014 03:42PM

Public sector is the new YORE MA.

25-09-2014 03:50PM

A lot of it depends on the type of work and the type of work place you work in, my husband can take time to go to the doctor or what ever, however the is an un written expectation that you make up the time... now nobody is watching or monitoring this in anyway but its never abused.

Richard Branson to offer unlimited holidays to staff

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