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Netflix Announces Its New ‘Unlimited’ Maternity and Paternity Leave Program

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Re: Netflix Announces Its New ‘Unlimited’ Maternity and Paternity Leave Program

#121

Post by plonh »

jms703 wrote: post #78
mullen wrote: post #30

This is dumb. As others have pointed out, all it does is use peer pressure to decide what the "proper amount" of Paternity Leave is. Netflix is probably such a pressure cooker that when people need to and want to take Paternity Leave, they won't take it for fear of upsetting the group and losing their jobs. Managers will abuse it just to keep productivity up. Want to be a progressive company? Clearly define how long…

I don't think you know what you're talking about. As one who works for a company with an unlimited policy, I'm enjoying it, taking full advantage, and am getting things done.

How do you define "full"?

Re: Netflix Announces Its New ‘Unlimited’ Maternity and Paternity Leave Program

#122

Post by mgkimsal »

eitally wrote: post #56
michaelchisari wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've seen places that have that minimum be mandatory. As in, if you haven't taken a vacation by a certain time, they will insist, even go so far as restricting access until the vacation is over. The great thing about a mandatory minimum (never thought I'd be saying those words), is that it doesn't allow someone to over work themselves into a frenzy, making everyone else look lazy, while simultaneously burning themsel…

At my previous employer, this seemed to be the case in our UK offices. 30 days a year, mandatory.

that's sort of just a UK minimum in general, IIRC (fwir, at least 20)

Re: Netflix Announces Its New ‘Unlimited’ Maternity and Paternity Leave Program

#123

Post by trunnell »

mrep wrote: post #113
relix42 wrote: post #68

I've seen quite a few reactions to the Netflix unlimited PTO policy that are similar to the reactions to the new Maternity and Paternity policy. Many of these opinions are the likes of: * "I'm suspicious of this." * "No one takes any vacation at Netflix because of this." * "Unlimited == None" * "Peer pressure means that everyone works 52 weeks a year." * "Without a PTO policy you can't cash out unused vacation. This…

This and other things have sold me into applying to netflix. However, looking at your job openings, EVERYTHING has "senior" on it or "director". Literally, go check it out: https://jobs.netflix.com/jobs Does that mean I'm automatically disqualified because I am only just graduating college?

Netflix employee here.

Titles aren't that important at Netflix, so all engineers have the same title of Senior Software Engineer. (Similarly, there's no Senior Manager or Senior Director titles-- just Manager and Director.)

That said, most roles do require lots of experience. The individual job posts will list the expected number of years.

Re: Netflix Announces Its New ‘Unlimited’ Maternity and Paternity Leave Program

#124

Post by relix42 »

shostack wrote: post #86
relix42 wrote: post #68

I've seen quite a few reactions to the Netflix unlimited PTO policy that are similar to the reactions to the new Maternity and Paternity policy. Many of these opinions are the likes of: * "I'm suspicious of this." * "No one takes any vacation at Netflix because of this." * "Unlimited == None" * "Peer pressure means that everyone works 52 weeks a year." * "Without a PTO policy you can't cash out unused vacation. This…

Thanks for sharing an honest 1st party perspective. Would you mind clarifying on: > "I'm pressured to take vacations." Is that as a result of the following bullet around managers being taught to be a good example? Or is it because the day-to-day is stressful and the average hours are not even close to 9-5 so the pressure to take vacation is to combat burnout? (Not saying that is actually the case at Netflix, but I've…

My management chain encourages me to take time away from the office. Vacations, conferences, et al. I determine my workload, so, if the day-to-day is stressful, I need to change something.

Re: Netflix Announces Its New ‘Unlimited’ Maternity and Paternity Leave Program

#125

Post by relix42 »

mikeash wrote: post #106
relix42 wrote: post #68

I've seen quite a few reactions to the Netflix unlimited PTO policy that are similar to the reactions to the new Maternity and Paternity policy. Many of these opinions are the likes of: * "I'm suspicious of this." * "No one takes any vacation at Netflix because of this." * "Unlimited == None" * "Peer pressure means that everyone works 52 weeks a year." * "Without a PTO policy you can't cash out unused vacation. This…

Honest question: why don't people just leave for months at a time? Is it because everyone understands that "unlimited" is actually "one month a year, more or less" or whatever the actual amount is?

I can speak for me and others I know rather well - I like what I do. I enjoy going to work, finding things to fix, and fixing them. There are those things that I don't enjoy doing, but, they're not the majority by a long shot. So, six months away wouldn't be that attractive.

Along with the that, one of the tenets of the business is "Freedom and Responsibility". If you can be responsible taking six months off then you are free to do so. I know people that take 4 weeks off at a time without issue. They plan their projects and commitments, communicate to their team, and make sure they're ready to be out for 4 weeks. Then, they leave for 4 week.

Re: Netflix Announces Its New ‘Unlimited’ Maternity and Paternity Leave Program

#126

Post by jedberg »

mrep wrote: post #113
relix42 wrote: post #68

I've seen quite a few reactions to the Netflix unlimited PTO policy that are similar to the reactions to the new Maternity and Paternity policy. Many of these opinions are the likes of: * "I'm suspicious of this." * "No one takes any vacation at Netflix because of this." * "Unlimited == None" * "Peer pressure means that everyone works 52 weeks a year." * "Without a PTO policy you can't cash out unused vacation. This…

This and other things have sold me into applying to netflix. However, looking at your job openings, EVERYTHING has "senior" on it or "director". Literally, go check it out: https://jobs.netflix.com/jobs Does that mean I'm automatically disqualified because I am only just graduating college?

> Does that mean I'm automatically disqualified because I am only just graduating college?

You're not automatically disqualified but you probably don't have enough experience, unless you worked a full time job in the past or had some really intense summer internships.

Re: Netflix Announces Its New ‘Unlimited’ Maternity and Paternity Leave Program

#127

Post by jedberg »

cscurmudgeon wrote: post #101
relix42 wrote: post #68

I've seen quite a few reactions to the Netflix unlimited PTO policy that are similar to the reactions to the new Maternity and Paternity policy. Many of these opinions are the likes of: * "I'm suspicious of this." * "No one takes any vacation at Netflix because of this." * "Unlimited == None" * "Peer pressure means that everyone works 52 weeks a year." * "Without a PTO policy you can't cash out unused vacation. This…

Plural of anecdote is not data unless you have data :) Any Netflix-level stats?

Well I can 100% back up what OP said. So now you have two data points.

And ironically, Netflix doesn't have any data because they don't track vacation time, not even just for data purposes.

The best "data" I can offer is that everyone I knew there took ample vacation except one person, who hated his family and like the excuse of "I have to work".

Re: Netflix Announces Its New ‘Unlimited’ Maternity and Paternity Leave Program

#128

Post by relix42 »

abalone wrote: post #80
relix42 wrote: post #68

I've seen quite a few reactions to the Netflix unlimited PTO policy that are similar to the reactions to the new Maternity and Paternity policy. Many of these opinions are the likes of: * "I'm suspicious of this." * "No one takes any vacation at Netflix because of this." * "Unlimited == None" * "Peer pressure means that everyone works 52 weeks a year." * "Without a PTO policy you can't cash out unused vacation. This…

> I take more vacation now than I did when I had 2/3/4/5 weeks a year So, does that mean you take more than 5 weeks per year?

When I had 5 weeks ago I never took all of it. The environment didn't support it. It was very much the "here are 5 weeks of vacation we hope you won't use".

Now I can a week or two here and there, a few days off, a long weekend, etc. It's my job to plan it out, balance my work, and go. Thinking back on last year (without going over my calendar) I'd estimate I took between 5 and 6 weeks of total time off.

Re: Netflix Announces Its New ‘Unlimited’ Maternity and Paternity Leave Program

#129

Post by alialkhatib »

Cadsby wrote: post #79
ars wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So no taking 30 years off after your child is born then. That's simple - just keep having children. Time it right and you can take off permanently for decades.

And yet virtually no ones does this.

A friend has 6 kids and I'm beginning to wonder what his company's pat/mat policy is...

Re: Netflix Announces Its New ‘Unlimited’ Maternity and Paternity Leave Program

#130

Post by rhino369 »

danudey wrote: post #49
caoilte wrote: post #10

Unlimited leave policies encourage employees to self-police and conform to peer pressure. At a place like Netflix I can imagine the result being that people end up taking less than the industry average. A better gimmick would be if Netflix picked one of the Nordics and announced that they were going to adopt all of the social policies provided by that country's government.

> I can imagine the result being that people end up taking less than the industry average The industry average in the US is abysmal though. Yahoo 'doubled' theirs to 16 weeks, which is 1/3 of Canada's (and many other countries') legally mandated minimum. Taking double the industry average would still be abysmal by global standards.

Global standards include a government paid paycheck. No country has companies pay for a anywhere near a year.
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