Vacations Unlimited At Netflix

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  indiamike05/24/07 Report as spam
  1

  Normal for the UK

  25 days paid vacation is pretty normal in the UK.

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  Todd@...05/24/07 Report as spam
  2

  Normal in the UK

  Are you hiring?? lol

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  lglispy05/24/07 Report as spam
  3

  Great Idea

  I think the Netflix is "the grown up company!"
  
  LG

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  Mrsyertle05/24/07 Report as spam
  4

  Treat people like adults and they'll act like adults

  As an OD consultant, I applaud Netflix for trusting their salaried employees and giving them the benefit of the doubt to work hard and to reward themselves with much needed time off. The USA is far beyond our European friends in giving generous vacation (recoup) time and we continue to believe that long hours are a must for success.
  
  I am much more productive, creative and happier after time off and suspect that Netflix has figured out the same

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  mcontois@...05/24/07 Report as spam
  5

  Netflix is a grown-up company

  That other company's spokesperson sounds stuffy and closed-minded. I won't be buying its stock. Bravo for Netflix for seeing the light. Employees that get the needed time off are much more productive and creative. They get things done. 25 days is not a lot of time off. Who hasn't spent time thinking about working when you aren't at work? But you know, I rarely write down my thoughts because I have such limited free time. If I had more free time and more respect then I would certainly write down ideas because I would be able to. You never know when creativity is going to strike or an idea hits. It doesn't know the standard work day. It's spontaneous. Besides if you hire adults who are intelligent, smart, and committed then they deserve greater freedom. If people were rewarded more and punished less then there is no limit to what can be done. Play by the rules and lose is kind of America's philosophy right now. Kudos to Netflix for trying to change it!

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  DougOfCBS05/24/07 Report as spam
  6

  Accounting?

  If the vacation time is unlimited, then I guess it isn't on the books as a liability. That would sure help Netflix's bottom line.

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  cecily05/24/07 Report as spam
  7

  Vacation Liability

  That does not seem very likely to me. That idea also strike me as illegal. They probably do something like estimate the current vacation liability based on vacation taken by employees in the prior period.

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  haggis_the_dog05/24/07 Report as spam
  8

  Normal in Europe

  In Europe, (well, in Germany for definate) all staff members start with 30 days paid leave (over and above state holiday) with no change as they increase in seniority. Work hours tend to be 37.5hrs per week. Burnout seems to be less of an issue, and productivity seems to be the same if not higher.
  
  Would be great for the US and Canada to adopt a similar approach.

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  tnoack9905/24/07 Report as spam
  9

  It takes a week to wind down ...

  ... another week to actually get the body and mind to start feeling relaxed and to recover from daily stress.
  
  If you look at studies about long term paid vacation they all show that in contries such as Germany and France, for example, employees are more efficient and the overall work place atmosphere is more relaxed.
  
  I am happy to see that more and more US corporations actually see this bonus and stop thinking of vacation as an expense that comes with having employees.
  
  Many people in the US, unfortunately, feel that they even have to check their e-mail or call-in to the office to make sure everything is ok, while on vacation. This voids the entire effect of time-off all together.
  
  Happy vacation time!

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  norei@...05/24/07 Report as spam
  10

  Netflix equals Excellence !

  Hurray! Finally a company (in America) that thinks outside the box. I am so tired of the management books an articles that speak of employees being the most valuable company assets, yet companies continue to abuse employees for the sake of profits. I am a hard working committed person. I give 200%....I do whatever it takes to get the job done! I refuse to work for a company that offers me 10 days vacation! This is why I freelance..I am my own boss!

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  tkellough@...05/24/07 Report as spam
  11

  Netflix Vacations

  Based upon my experiences so far with Netflix, as a customer, I think the whole company is on vacation. They have a hard time fulfilling their promises, although the very efficient Post Office Department (USPS) doesn't help them too much, either.
  
  Well, just my two cents worth. Vacations are wonderful, if you do, in fact, get the work done.

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  dianaeverc05/24/07 Report as spam
  12

  Hypothesis Test for good mgmt

  To assess the potential success of this policy fairly we need to know more about the organization. It?s a bit of a gutsy move from the perspective of those HR pros that?ve operated in the safe confines of what has been done in the past. If Netflix hires highly motivated employees, manages employees in a way that keeps them fully engaged, assigns and manages projects and work assignments effectively, etc.; well, they may actually find the majority of employees don?t take much more vacation than Netflix would have provided anyway. I?ve worked in organizations where we had to demand employees take time off. In the mean time, Netflix has sent a priceless message of confidence and trust to their employees. And, hopefully, they?ve developed some fall back plans if there are baubles in the program. Hey, maybe employees that don?t complete their work don?t get pay increases and get replaced.
  
  It strikes me that Netflix didn?t invent themselves by doing what everyone else was doing ? the founders were risk takers and innovators. So why not take a risk and try this? It will be interesting to track the success of this program over the long haul. Hats off to those who are willing to test a new hypothesis and forge new ground that might benefit us all.
  
  Personally, when approached about a job opportunity, one of the first things I look at is the time off programs. I think that I bring a more balanced, creative, and healthy contribution to my employer when I work to live rather than live to work.

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  TBisson05/24/07 Report as spam
  13

  More time off

  It is great to see a large company so liberal with their time off policy. At Bisson Barcelona, a PR firm in NH, they offer 6 weeks paid time off after five years employment, including 11 paid holidays (includes birthday) and flex lunch, which allows employees to "bank" a 1/2 hour of their lunch hour daily and leave early on Fridays.