Although we already had quite a few additional vacation days at Nobel, we decided to introduce unlimited paid leave as well. In the leadership team, we felt that both as employees and as a company, we were ready for this step.
When we discussed the plan within the leadership team, everyone was enthusiastic. I introduced the idea of adding unlimited paid leave as an extra benefit. I explained what it generally meant and how it would work. However, the first communication turned out to be too vague and, in hindsight, somewhat confusing. To my surprise, out of 45 employees, only seven supported the idea of unlimited leave! I take full responsibility for this miscommunication. As a result, several questions and concerns arose among our employees, including fears such as:
- Not being allowed to take leave or not taking it at all;
- The potential abuse of freedom, with uneven use of leave and increased workload for colleagues;
- New clients being neglected.
Despite these initial fears, I still believed in responsible freedom and in our people. After discussing our company culture and work environment with colleagues, we realized that it’s supportive, considerate, and promotes growth, while also providing freedom and responsibility. We acknowledged that at Nobel, this is almost taken for granted. In a broader context, however, it’s still more of an exception than a rule. When a colleague hears friends complaining about work issues, they often can’t relate, as these problems are unfamiliar. As an HR manager, this is encouraging to hear—it means we’re on the right path as a company.
Various studies have shown that people hesitate to take responsibility because they fear failure and are unsure of their abilities. There’s also fear of criticism or punishment, and a feeling that support from management is lacking. In addition, personal attitudes like low self-esteem or a fear of failure may play a role. I believe we’ve minimized these fears at Nobel. We emphasize collaboration, feedback, and the courage to learn from mistakes. We encourage taking on challenges so that personal and professional growth can be as significant as possible.
Because I believed in this concept so strongly, I made significant improvements to the communication. We held a company-wide meeting to identify the real concerns about unlimited leave (e.g., overburdened colleagues, slower service delivery). By the end of the meeting, we had established clear agreements on all of these issues. So, what did we agree on? Here’s a summary:
- At the start of the year, we plan and schedule standard annual leave. Unlimited leave can only be taken once the regular leave has been used;
- No travel tickets are purchased before leave is approved;
- While on unlimited leave, we remain reachable and respond within 4-5 hours, and it’s acceptable to suggest a better time for a conversation;
- If we’re completely unreachable for an extended period, we inform the team in advance;
- We keep accurate and up-to-date information in the work management system so that any replacement has access to relevant and timely details;
- Everyone is responsible for meeting their personal and work goals, even during leave;
- Each person organizes their work during leave so that no one else suffers.
Last year, we introduced unlimited leave as a pilot project, allowing participants to test it out. The first year’s results were modest—unlimited leave was used for a total of just 19 days. Employees have shared that they spent the first year observing how the “braver” ones used it in practice. This year, we expect more people to take advantage of the unlimited leave. Employees have realized that they truly are responsible for their goals and clients. They’ve also understood that it’s possible to take unlimited leave with personal responsibility. Therefore, we’ll likely be able to draw more meaningful conclusions about the program next year or even the year after.
If you’d like to work in a company that values personal freedom and responsibility, leave us your details, and we’ll get in touch when new positions become available!
