Tempted by a Tech Job With Unlimited PTO? Read the Fine Print First

As the adage goes, if something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

Case in point, unlimited PTO, which is frequently touted by tech companies as a company benefit, designed with work-life balance in mind.

In fact, according to a 2022 survey, unlimited PTO has quickly ascended the ranks to become one of the most sought-after employee benefits in the U.S., ahead of paid paternity leave and tuition reimbursement as workers vie for increased flexibility.

However, the reality is that unlimited PTO doesn’t equate to dozens of days off. And although it can seem like an enticing prospect for potential employees, a lack of clarity around unlimited PTO gray areas can be tricky to navigate, and ultimately cause conflict in the long run.

Culture conflict

In the U.S. around 6% of companies offer unlimited PTO, including Netflix, Microsoft, and Goldman Sachs.

While unlimited PTO might be enshrined in your contract, it’s more likely that the amount of time you request off falls in line with the existing company culture towards vacation time.

For example, if it’s common for staff to take 10 days PTO at once, you can also look forward to long vacations, but if your team tends to take minimal holidays because their workload is so intense, it won’t matter that your leave entitlement is unlimited as you’ll probably end up not using many days.

Time is money

In many companies, time accrued that isn’t used as PTO by the end of the year can be sold back and staff can pocket the cash. This is also true for staff leaving an organization who haven’t used up their PTO allowance.

However, when unlimited PTO is in place, this isn’t applicable, and if you work a full calendar year without taking any PTO outside of public holidays, such as Thanksgiving or Labor Day, you won’t be eligible to earn your time back.

Reality bites

Friction among team members or bigger problems between staff and management can happen for many reasons and in some cases, unlimited PTO is one of them.

This is because some employees will always under-request time off while others will over-request it, regardless of how much work is on the agenda. An unfair or unequal distribution of downtime can often lead to tension between colleagues, but it can also point to different management styles team-to-team within a larger organization.

And while taking time off can be a momentary panacea to your work problems, if you consistently feel a sense of disengagement at work, it could be time for you to reconsider your future.

If that is the case, the Hackernoon Job Board is the perfect place to focus your job search. It features thousands of tech jobs across the U.S., including the three below.

Principal, Cloud Engineering, Options Clearing Corporation, Chicago

This technical leadership role will see the Principal design and development of the core platform engineering automation. You will also be responsible for driving the strategy for infrastructure automation and improved application adoption. End-user usability and a reduction of overall operational support will also be under remit. In addition, this role will provide technical leadership to the team and serve as a technical liaison between internal technology departments, interacting directly with our core customers. The ideal candidate will also be passionate about new technologies such as CloudNative and OpenSource. Want to know more? See additional details here.

Database Engineer, Boeing Intelligence & Analytics, Annapolis Junction

As a Database Engineer at Boeing Intelligence & Analytics, you will be responsible for architecting and developing new database systems and developing software for data analysis, PL/SQL packages and triggers and database upgrades, migration issues and repair corruption. You will also build extract, translate and load (ETL) scripts. You will also need experience in providing technical direction for the development, engineering, interfacing, integration, and testing of specific components of complex software systems, along with experience of developing system engineering documentation, such as system engineering plans, initial capabilities documents, requirements specifications, and interface control documents. If hired, you can also look forward to a $10,000 sign on bonus. Find out more here.

Enterprise Requirements & Integration Engineer, ENSCO Inc., El Segundo

ENSCO is seeking an innovative, creative, and highly motivated Engineer to support the U.S. Space Force, Space Systems Command’s MILSATCOM Program. Duties will include applying Model Based System Engineering (MBSE) to support the development of technical baselines, analyzing system requirements that define the technical baseline and verification of the technical baseline, working with government and contractor personnel to close gaps in flow of customer requirements, and leading and supporting meetings by creating briefings, leading discussion, and writing minutes—to resolve risks, requirement gaps, and action items. If this sounds like the kind of opportunity you’ve been looking for, you can apply here.

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**- Aoibhinn Mc Bride