9 companies in the UK that offer employees unlimited time off

Taking a holiday once in a while is crucial to let us recharge our batteries, get away from the stresses of work, and generally just have some time to ourselves.

Most companies have a set number of paid days employees can take off every year, which normally increases with seniority, but many companies now offer their staff the chance to take as much time off as they like.

The practice of unlimited holiday is one that stirs strong feelings. Advocates say it lets employees manage their own time without arbitrary limits on how much time off they're allowed, while opponents say it leaves employees confused as to how much vacation time they should actually take. As a result, they can end up taking much less than they would if there were specific guidelines in place.

The practice is reasonably common in the USA, particularly in the tech community, but it is now starting to trickle into the UK where the statutory minimum holiday amount is 28 days per year, including bank holidays.

Jobs marketplace Glassdoor, which tracks perks like unlimited holiday, has provided some firms in the UK that have the policy. A handful are US companies with UK operations, while others are UK-based. Check them out below:

Netflix

What they do: Netflix is now among the most recognisable tech companies in the world, providing a widely used movie and TV streaming service, as well as creating original programming. CEO Reed Hastings is a big proponent of unlimited vacation, and takes at least six weeks a year off.

What employees say: “Great company culture, challenging missions, autonomy and valuable feedback from your peers and management.” — Former Marketing Employee

LinkedIn

What they do: LinkedIn is probably the best known social network for business professionals, allowing people across the world to connect and share ideas. It was acquired by Microsoft in December 2016.

What employees say: “The culture is a solid representation of what they believe important. Diversity, integrity and respect whilst continuously being pushed to take responsibility and ownership.” — Current Employee, London.

EventBrite

What they do: Founded in San Francisco in 2006, EventBrite is a platform that allows customers to buy tickets for concerts, sporting events etc, as well as providing a platform to register for free events.

What employees say: “With cutting edge benefits like free daily lunch, all you can eat snacks (lots of choices), and a ”take the time you need“ PTO policy, Eventbrite has positioned itself to be a unique employer.” – Current Employee

Crimson Hexagon

What they do: Based in the US, but with a London office, Crimson Hexagon specialises in social media analytics, with a particular focus on current events and trending topics.

What employees say: “Management is willing to take some risks and just announced an unlimited vacation policy. There is opportunity to grow, and not just in your department. Quite a few people are moving or working on moving to other parts of the organisation.” — Current Employee, London

Visualsoft

What they do: “Visualsoft is one of the UK's leading digital agencies specialising in the production of eCommerce websites,” according to Glassdoor.

What employees say: “What can I say amazing working environment, so transparent such a pleasure to get up and go to work on a morning free breakfast free protein free gym free bar these guys have it spot on and with flexi time and unlimited holidays the work life balance is outstanding” — Current Employee, Stockton-on-Tees

JustPark

What they do: JustPark is an app that tries to help drivers find parking spaces in busy places by unlocking “underused spaces in car parks, hotels, pubs, churches and even private driveways.”

What employees say: “Incredible team full of super smart people. Good work-life balance; strong work ethic whilst going on cracking holidays also encouraged” — Business Development, London

AffectV

What they do: AffectV is a technology platform which aims to deliver the “next generation” of audience-targeting technology in the advertising space.

What employees say: “Having worked at Affectv for a few years now I can say it has been a tremendous experience for personal growth & development. As a candidate if you're looking for serious challenges in an rapidly evolving ecosystem, Affectv will be able to give you opportunities to demonstrate your abilities and discover new ones.” — Former Employee

Songkick

What they do: Songkick is a live music startup that gives users access to tickets for their favourite musical artists, as well as tracking track their tour dates.

What employees say: “The benefits/perks offered were impressive for such a small company. This included unlimited holiday (born out of the intrinsic trust for employees), equal fully-paid maternity and paternity leave, competitive salaries, all food/drink, summer festival trip and monthly gig ticket budget.” — Current Employee

HubSpot

What they do: In its own words, the Massachusetts-based HubSpot “is an inbound marketing and sales platform.”

What employees say: “Room for career progression: they're pretty helpful in trying to get you to the next level. Autonomy: ”unlimited“ holidays, the ability to work from home, flexible hours... etc. Just get the job done!” — Current Employee

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