Microsoft will adopt unlimited time off model for salaried employees

Jan. 11 (UPI) -- Microsoft will change its vacation and sick day policy to an "unlimited time off" model for salaried employees, according to a company spokesperson.

The policy change, which Microsoft calls "discretionary time off," will go into effect on Jan. 16. The switch means employees won't have to accrue vacation or sick days before taking them.

Critics say that unlimited time off can be a double-edged sword, because while it allows more flexibility, a climate of peer pressure can discourage employees from taking adequate time off, out of fear of how they will be perceived and valued.

The policy also means companies don't need to pay off workers who leave their jobs for vacation days they have accrued during their employment. Microsoft says employees who have accrued vacation days will receive a one-time payment in April.

The new policy only applies to salaried workers in the United States, and won't affect hourly workers or Microsoft employees abroad.

Unlimited time off has already been implemented at Goldman Sachs, Oracle, Netflix, and at Microsoft's LinkedIn unit.