User experience agency Webcredible has introduced unlimited holiday for its employees in order to attract and retain a talented workforce.
From January 2015, employees will be able to take unlimited holiday at full pay, as long as they hit three criteria. Staff need to demonstrate they are working towards their own objectives, help others to achieve theirs, and always act in the best interests of the company.
The firm hopes this will not only help those with children balance their work and home lives but also encourage individuals to put in the extra effort at the times when it is required.
"If people are on projects and work for two or three months solid, five days a week, it means they can have two weeks off, without encroaching into their holiday allowance," says CEO and founder Trenton Moss. "If they have an empty diary on a Thursday or Friday, why come into work just to kick their heels?"
Up to now, employees have received 20 days' holiday a year, plus bank holidays, and Moss now expects this to increase to around 30-35 days per person.
Long periods of holiday will have to be agreed in advance, he says, but the prospect of having people taking six weeks off during the summer doesn't scare him.
"In business, summer holidays are a nightmare anyway," he says. "Everyone shuts down in August. There are enough people in the business who don't need time off over the summer holidays so we'll always have 50% of our staff available."
Around 40% of staff are parents, says Moss, and, unsurprisingly, all employees have welcomed the move.
"We've been recruiting over the last few months and it's been a really big hook," he says. "But it's also showing that the company really does trust you to do your job. It's creating that culture, more than just the holiday."
