Paid Vacation? That’s Not Cool. You Know What’s Cool? Paid, PAID Vacation.

Bora Bora
Bart Lorang

Author: Bart Lorang

@bartlorang

Ideas invade my brain constantly.

Some are good. Some are mediocre. Some are downright awful.

As a kid, I used to wake my parents up in the middle of the night to tell them about my ideas. Over time, I’ve learned that the ideas that keep coming back are the ones that I should pay attention to.

The past few years I’ve had this totally insane idea that just wouldn’t go away. It kept gnawing at me.

Last week, I finally decided to do something about it.

At our all-hands we announced the idea: something I like to call Paid, Paid Vacation. You can view the presentation in its entirety here.

In essence, not only do we provide employees minimum 15 days paid vacation plus the standard Federal holidays, but WE ALSO PAY FOR VACATIONS!

Here’s how it works: once per year, we give each employee $7500 to go on vacation.

There are a few rules:

  1. You have to go on vacation, or you don’t get the money.
  2. You must disconnect.
  3. You can’t work while on vacation.

That’s it – pretty simple. In putting together our new “vacation policy” we came up with some guiding principles:

Guiding Principle #1: It’s Really Important to Disconnect.

In today’s world of Email, iPhones, Androids, Twitter, Facebook and devices on our person 24×7, we’re always connected. It’s not healthy.

Brad Feld gave a great TEDxBoulder Presentation titled The Quarterly Week Off the Grid that will explain this phenomenon far better than I can. Go watch the video now. This post will be waiting on you when you get back.

Coincidentally, I recently got engaged and was tasked with planning the honeymoon.

As long as I can remember, I have always vowed that my honeymoon will have these two characteristics:

  1. It will be in Bora Bora
  2. I am going to go completely off the grid for two weeks.

As I started thinking about the upcoming two weeks off the grid, I started to mildly panic. I was worried that I’d break down. I was worried that my new bride would find me in the hotel business center cranking through emails like some crazed addict.

I’ve tried to go off the grid for extended periods of time before, but have failed frequently.

In FullContact HQ, there’s even a framed photo of my ability to fail:

 

Me Failing At Off The Grid
Me Completely #Failing at Going Off the Grid

 

I ended up emailing Brad Feld to get his advice. During that exchange, I asked Brad what he thought about my idea for “Paid, Paid Vacation.”

Brad’s Response:

“I love the Paid Paid Vacation concept and totally agree with it. A lot of people won’t spend the money because they don’t have it or think they’ll be happier if they save it. But they miss the value of disconnecting.

Brad nailed it. It’s super important for people to disconnect. It’s so important at FullContact that we will actively incentivize this behavior.

We don’t want employees reading email. We don’t want them calling or checking in – we might even disable their work email accounts, but we’ll see ;-)

We just want our people to disconnect and have a great vacation.

UPDATE: About Brad: I was 100% convinced he was the right Board Member for FullContact prior to his response. But this answer sent my certainty into the 200%+ territory. As a result, Brad & Foundry Group led our Series B round and joined our Board!

Guiding Principle #2: We’ll Be A Better Company if Employees Disconnect.

I love FullContact. I love the people. I love the problem space we’re in. I love our customers. I love inventing solutions.

However, if unchecked, love can also have a smothering effect.

Just as parents can smother their children when they leave the nest for the first time, founders, managers and employees can do the same:

What happens if a key customer calls?
I’m the only who knows this! What happens if my people need me?
Did you think about X? What about Y?

Perhaps it is a sense of ownership or desire to feel needed, but in many company cultures (especially startups), there is often a misguided hero syndrome that encourages an “I’m the only one who can do this” mentality.

That’s not heroic. That’s a single point of failure. It’s not good for the employee or the company.

But here’s the thing: If people know they will be disconnecting and going off the grid for an extended period of time, they might actually keep that in mind as they help build the company. For example:

  • They might empower direct reports to make more decisions.
  • They might be less likely to create a special script that isn’t checked into GitHub and only lives on their machine.
  • They might document their code a bit better.
  • They might contribute to the Company Wiki and share knowledge.

Get the picture? At the end of the day, the company will improve.

As an added bonus, everyone will be happier and more relaxed knowing that they aren’t the last line of defense.

Guiding Principle #3: Everyone at FullContact Deserves a Nice Vacation.

We believe that everyone at FullContact deserves a nice vacation.

But the question is: what’s the definition of “nice”?

For me, it’s about being on the water at an exotic location.

For Travis, it’s about going to Las Vegas for a few long weekends of March Madness.

For Kyle and Robbie, it’s going to Bonnaroo or Burning Man and getting naked.

For others, it might be hanging on the couch, eating Taco Bell and watching bad cable all week.

Different strokes for different folks. Some people are single. Some people have families. People decompress in different ways.

Regardless, we felt that everyone should have the opportunity to take a nice vacation without constantly worrying about how much money they’re spending while on vacation.

As a result, we settled on $7,500 (before taxes). The reasoning? $7,500 is enough for a family of four to take a nice vacation to Mexico for a week. Plus, they can go on some awesome adventures with our friends at FlexTrip or SideTour.

Is $7,500 too much? Too little? We don’t know. It’s a giant experiment. We’ll find out.

How did everyone at FullContact react to this announcement? Well, let’s put it this way: nobody complained and a company photo album was started for all the vacation pics!

Needless to say, we’re all pretty excited. We can’t wait to hear about everyone’s awesome adventures!

And yes, we’re hiring.

  • Belfordz66

    *drops to one knee*
    will you be my boss?

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      Thanks ;-) We’ve got openings at http://www.fullcontact.com/jobs

      • http://twitter.com/pragmatic_rebel Yogesh Ramesh Sharma

        Let me check that out please! :-)

      • Sue

        No jobs you can do from home? Moving to US is not an option at this moment :)

  • Enno

    You may want to consider increasing vacation days from 15 to 35 per year, if you want to attract talent from Europe.

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      Not a bad idea. We’ll consider it ;-)

      • Fiddler

        I’m going to second that, although working here in Germany the 35 does feel a bit much (keep in mind there are another 9 bank holidays per year).

        The suprising thing is that I get much the same amount of work done. I’m not tired, fit as hell, and occasionally take the dull coding projects home on the weekend so I can jack up the music, hook up to the coffee machine, and code in zen.

    • Dan the European :P

      Yeah, I stopped reading for a moment with shivers when I read that they can take only 15 days off. I think I’d trade that money for additional 10 or 20 days. Or maybe it’s easy to take unpaid holiday besides those 15 payable days ?

      • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

        We’re considering all those options. Some folks who don’t want as much money have asked us about taking more time off instead. Definitely an option! (BTW, obviously there’s all the standard federal holidays as well)

        As a reference point, companies like Google’s standard plan is 15 paid days per year, bumping up to 20 or 25 after a few years at the company.

        • http://twitter.com/JonJennings Jon Jennings

          Last company I worked for in the UK before I moved to North America had a “flexible benefits” scheme. As well as your salary you got a chunk of “points” which you could use to buy things – private healthcare, extra vacation, company car, childcare, life insurance, phones etc.
          They cut basic vacation time from 5 down to 4 weeks but with the points you could buy more, if you wanted it, up to a cap of about 7 weeks per year. That way everybody got to prioritize what they wanted.

          • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=503290758 Justin Steele

            I like this “points” idea… Needless to say the health insurance situation in the U.S. is messed up, regardless of which one one prefers to go with it… but I don’t need coverage through my employer since I am covered through other means… I’d prefer to earn a little more salary in lieu of the benefit though, even if it was only a percentage of the benefit cost, perhaps 75%.

        • Sue

          That is a good idea, I understand it when you want to spend more time with you children for instance, the choice of taking more time off is a GOOD one :) btw – I`m from The Netherlands, and I work parttime to spend more time with my kids when they are free from school. I work 3 days a week, but they are flexible, so if I want to, I can work 1 day and all mornings – I have a very good employer :)

    • http://twitter.com/robinduckett Robin Duckett

      I agree, I currently get 23 paid holiday days, on top of the UK bank holiday / mandatory holidays (of which there are 9 this year) bringing me up to 32 days of holiday. This is one of the only problems I have with ever even thinking about working in the states.

  • Pjmlp

    This must be an American thing.

    Here in Europe when we go in vacations unless you are an workaholic, we always disconnect from work.

    Going in vacations means having zero contact with the company.

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      I agree – culturally Europe and the U.S. are very different. I’ve spent big chunks of summers in Europe, and it’s always amazed me how much more holiday day time Europeans get compared to their American counterparts!

      • ZoubIWah

        I must say most americans (specifically IT jobs) work less at work than europeans do, in general
        i worked in both places, and in different EU countries as well (incl germany which is the one with the least holidays if i recall correctly)

        EU:
        - at work, you work. you have some 10min pauses for coffee etc but in general you work.
        - in holidays, it’s sacred, no one contacts you unless there’s no other way. and you generally don’t contact others a lot. you read email usually, at best.
        - very hard to fire employees

        US:
        - at work, you chat around. you chat around more., you get some stuff done, then theres a few more meetings, then there’s some awesome idea discussion, etc
        - you don’t take many holidays, but you go out every night from 7 to 9pm (most europeans don’t do that, only on weekends up to midnight or deep in the night)
        - very easy to fire employees, but, it rarely happen, even if they’re slacking
        - some people work good and fast. what do those do? well, they go out during the work day. they do other things. They just don’t yell it around. Unless i’m stuck on a project where I need to work double-time, I’m guilty of that myself.

        And in the end, basically, you do need the additional work days in the US. I’m guessing if you didn’t have them, workers would (again, in general) work more like the EU ones do, after some time.

        • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=503290758 Justin Steele

          Agreed.

        • Phil

          Wow! If that is your belief of the American of the work force, then you clearly do not know the American worker. I simply do not sit around and chat, then chat more, then have a few meetings to come up with one grand idea. You are clearly misinformed.

          As an American and an American worker, in the American work force, we actually do work. Many of us do get results. We even come up with more than one great idea, regardless if the idea came up duing a discussion or not.

          With regards to vacation time, I disconnect from my job while I am on vacation, as do my coworkers, as do many American employees. Depending on company benefits, some American companies offer a week vacation, some offer 2 weeks, or more.

          I have not worked for a European company in Europe. Therefore, I will not speculate what Europeans do or not do. But you really are not well informed about all American workers and/or companies. While some companies apply presures on its employees, I would have to believe that that business behavior does occur in European companies as well, especially during these trying economic times.

        • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000140721055 Bernee Martin

          Geez ZoublWah, I really don’t think that you can say most Americans work less at work than Europeans do. They may be more burned out than the Europeans though. I know that I worked myself into ill health, and recovery has taken a long time. Meanwhile, at the same time I was a workaholic, I did have a co-worker who was exceedingly lazy and fit your description well. Since she was able to hoodwink and charm the boss, it worked for her (at least while I was there) as the boss never seemed to catch on to how much of her work actually had to be handled by others while she spent much of her work time doing whatever personal tasks she wanted. I think that is more a matter of an overworked supervisor, whom is too often absent (in meetings) taking their employees’ work ethic too much for granted than it is a typical American worker. I think if people don’t earn their paycheck, then it comes back to bite them at some point, in low-self esteem or in bad Karma if nothing else.

      • Sue

        And the possibility to work parttime is a big plus too!
        Still, we don`t get our vacation days paid PAID :)
        If so, we could actually go on vacation! Saving for it takes about forever due to economic crisis and everything getting more and more expensive – with resignations everywhere!

      • Johnny223

        and look at the european economy vs the US.

        • Androobe

          Yes look at Germany, where the economy is doing better than the US. Oh, wait, they get the same paid time off as all the other EU countries.
          Sorry, that argument doesn’t work. The European economy only went the same way as the US, AFTER the US. The paid time off in Europe hasn’t changed…

    • http://twitter.com/scoobybluu Nik

      It is very much an American thing. Just last week, my friend sent me an article about how Americans are obsessed with saying, “I’m busy” — not that we want to, (well, some freak people might), but it makes us feel important. While Sheryl Sandberg was criticized for being vocal about leaving the office every day at 5, I think it’s very important that we bring the line back between “work” and “life;” we’ve unfortunately melded them into one.

      [Side note: I am a first-generation American who has worked abroad and still has my whole family in Europe, so I've gotten to witness this both personally and professionally.]

      We should all recognize the value of disconnecting. More pleasure in life and work, less burnout. There is nothing bad about either of those.

    • The River Temoc

      @Pjmlp, it absolutely is NOT an American thing. Please don’t think that Western Europe is all of Europe. I’ve worked extensively in Europe, albeit in Eastern Europe and the UK. The workaholic syndrome is alive and well, particularly in Eastern Europe.

    • DJ MentalBlue (Roland)

      Sorry this is not true!

  • sworddance

    @Bart –

    This is so inline with my desires for my own company.

    I was talking to a person I was recruiting last week about the BUSINESS value of vacations. One of the points is definitely the discovery of “single point of failures” before that single point of failure … fails, quits, or dies.

    Another business value is fraud detection. If a member of the accounting staff (or anyone else that handles part of the moneyflow) has not taken a vacation in a while, that is a red flag for an auditor. see: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0OOL/is_4_10/ai_n42123931/ http://joelmungar.blogspot.com/2008/08/mandatory-vacations-great-fraud-fighter.html
    (google: “accounting fraud vacations” for more )

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      That’s really interesting. Single point of failures are a bad thing!

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=503290758 Justin Steele

      From over haring my brother-in-law, who works for one of the large national banks, I think I understood the following: he has to take a vacation once a year that is minimally 2 weeks long, as does “everyone” else (at least in certain positions). From my casual listening (I wasn’t a direct party to the conversation) this is two help prevent [consistent] embezzlement. Supposedly because the numbers related to those two weeks would be telling. Not sure if this is correct though.

      For a software company though the “forced” 2 week vacation would in fact help find and prevent single points of failure. I just got back from a week long vacation and was glad to know my team and company did not need me for anything and everything kept on running smoothly for the most part.

  • Jason

    In Holland you are paid a ’13th’ month for this exact reason … this is holiday money and is intended to pay for holiday expenses aside from your regular salary while on leave. This is part of legislation and is AWESOME!

    Its a great idea that your employees will find hard to give up. I agree with the other commenter tho … America has horrible amounts of time off … you need to get that up to four weeks per year at least if you want to attract talent from overseas. In any event .. great idea and its nice to see an employer that realises that adding that extra couple of cents to the bottom line isn’t worth burnt out employees. Good job :)

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      Thanks Jason. Holland does rock. Who knows – maybe we’ll catch up someday ;-)

      • appieam

        Great…you just made the Dutch newspaper headlines ;-)
        It is true that working conditions in NL and DE are already better when talking about vacation days off and extra vacation money of 8% (the latter only in Holland). However…this has been done via government legislation and not via the vision of the “great” Dutch and German companies…Rome was also not build in one month and offering this is serving as an example…after positive results the next step can only be 4 weeks of paid leave as a minimum ;-)
        I am sure that you will and are able to motivate your employees with such things as no other..congrats on taking this step!

        ps…the camel pic rocks…LOL

        greetings from a Dutch person living and working in Germany who studied in the USA ;-)

    • Roy Tomeij

      Almost correct: the “13th month” is a bonus that companies _may_ offer. Holiday money is 8% of your annual salary and is a separate thing. Apart from that: yes, this is the Dutch system (but with less benefits).

      For a company in a third world country when it comes to employees rights and benefits, it’s a huge improvement though.

      • Alex

        Do note that the Dutch (and europeans in general) have a lower average income..
        The 8% in Holland can be spent on whatever you want, but I guess calling it “vacation money” helps a bit.

        • Roy Tomeij

          Lower income doesn’t say much about the amount of money you can actually spend. The average disposable income in the US is just under $38,000 while in The Netherlands it’s nearly $41,000 annually.

          That aside, the whole “vacation money” thing is something from the past. It’s like saying “employees can’t save money, so I’ll do it for you”.

  • Silvia

    I really love your idea! And to reply to the colleague from Europe below- he must be thinking of WESTERN Europe when he says everyone takes hols. Not everyone in all European countries can actually afford to go on vacation, or 100% disconnect so we kind of end up staying at home, and after 2 days of sleeping you kind of end up working :) And not all countries have so many days or bank holidays. I really hope your example will be considered by more companies!

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      Thanks, Silvia. Good point on the differences between Eastern and Western Europe.

    • PortugueseGuy

      I must agree with you, special in this crisis time.
      I’m in Portugal, and i could consider myself as lucky ( still have a job :) ), but even in this case it is really hard to take a decent vacations. It is true that the law related to vacations is good ( 22 work days or 25 if you dont miss a work day) and we recieve a one moth salary to our vacations.
      But even so, i work at IT for about 9 years and i am currently with 29, at this moment i work at a major company as a Sharepoint Senior Consultant ( this kind of job is paid between 33000£ and 60000k£ year in uk) but in Portugal i recieve 22000€ and there is no payment for extra work hours and no fee for the always connected state.

      So if my company paid me a nice good vacations in value of 5000€, would be just to good to be true.

      Keep up the good work Bart by this way you will ending up with friends instead of workers.

      • Pascal Bourguignon

        I want to be your friend too. Send me 200 euro each months, and I will give you 2400 euro for your holidays.

    • The River Temoc

      @Silvia, very often when Americans want to criticize (rightly or wrongly) something about America, they note that “the rest of the world does it way X.” What they really mean is “Western Europe does it way X.”

      This whole discussion about vacations and workaholism is a case in point. Many white-collar employees in Russia routinely work to 10 or 11pm at night (and I’m not only talking about investment bankers). Indeed, a major Russian opposition presidential candidate proposed *formalizing* a 12-hour working day before this year’s elections. I know China less well, but my sense is that the situation there is pretty similar.

  • http://www.facebook.com/byronfortescue Jesse Muller

    Here in the Netherlands the paid vacation was introduced in the early twentieth century to demand workers to take time off and go on vacation. The main reason was that workers would be happier and rested. We still get paid a certain percentage of a monthly salary every year to go on vacation, however it isn’t mandatory to use the money that way and in these economically rough times a lot of people tend to use the money to pay debts.

  • Chris

    You’ve just invented the Dutch standard for vacations :)

    • João

      Or Brazil’s, where you get paid an extra third of your monthly salary during vacations.

    • Diogo Resende

      I would say more European standard. In Portugal you get 14 salaries by just working 11 months (~22 days per year minimum). Do the math..

  • essiccf37

    I am defenitly waiting for the results of this experiments, great post and great idea !

  • http://www.facebook.com/bnisevic Бојан Нишевић

    I want to work for your company! :)

  • Pingback: Paid Vacation? Not Cool. You Know What’s Cool? Paid, PAID Vacation. - FullContact | Tech it up! | Scoop.it

  • http://twitter.com/young4u_amy Jerry Huo

    Wow, so nice!! do you welcome foreign employees like me? Is it possible to work remotely?

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      shoot your resume in at http://www.fullcontact.com/jobs and we’ll chat!

      • http://twitter.com/young4u_amy Jerry Huo

        Thanks, will do in this weekend :)

  • Jason

    Cool. Your going the right way. I’ve always ensured my employees had this option here in Canada even though some didn’t take advantage. A few years back my wife started renegotiating her contracts with 6 weeks off and 3.5 days per week in the office to enjoy the success she has generated from the many years of work. I of course joined her and life has been great. We have found that the same amount of actual work is done, but with a lot less stress. I do like the paid, paid idea very much,mso we’ll both be trying for that next. ;)

  • http://www.facebook.com/dabiglogikholeconsumingchaosandunderstanding Slavko Glamocanin

    Lovely preface for the “we’re hiring” bit… :)

  • Ivan

    Wow, $7,500 for vacation! My whole annual salary as senior developer is around $15,000!

    • http://www.aboveground.com AbovegroundDan

      You’re working in the wrong place. Or wrong country.

  • Mrsemory84

    I would love nothing more than to move from Missouri to Colorado. Our state doesn’t pay their.employees much, I know the country is in debt but the ppl in the state of mo have been ranked #50 :( they pay you enough to keep you here. My husband is going back to school for web art design then hopefully we can get ahead and start the family we’ve been waiting for, for 3 years. Damn economy!

  • http://www.yose.com/ Christian Geissendoerfer YOOSE

    What should I think if a new hired staff is sending me the link to this post? :)
    Interesting approach and worth to think about it. Our team gets 20 days of paid vacation here in Singapore (which is slightly above average).

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509528273 Marc Noto

      That he is resourceful and aims high. :D

  • Earl Grey

    15 days holiday in USA?
    me is thinking 3rd world country

  • mumsis

    Netherlands, and Finland also… quite common thing, nothing new :)
    35 days off, you get your salary like you would be working + 50% of your salary from those days as “holiday money”.

    • http://syn-ack.se/ Fredrik Broman

      Same in Sweden :)

      • João

        In Brazil you get 12 regular monthly “salaries” + a 13th salary for whatever use you want (and not taxed) + 30 days vacation + 30% of your monthly salary on top of the regular during the vacation month. All required by law.

  • Onur YALAZI

    The last sentence was what I was looking for :)

  • http://twitter.com/petrogad Pete Carr

    Outstanding article! Thanks for the post.

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      Thanks Pete!

  • http://www.facebook.com/themostamazsingpersonintheworld Jamie Shanikwa Street

    Can I work for you please?

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      Sure — just apply at http://www.fullcontact.com/jobs

      • http://www.facebook.com/johnabagwell John Bagwell

        Sent in my application TWICE! I know you’re going to get a massive response from this article and will need a lot of time to sort through it all, but when will anyone know if they’ve been considered and either get a yes/no? Is there anything else I can do to express my interest and keep informed of the process?

        • Happy2bme59

          I think all companies should do this

  • Iulian_Mihai

    Yes… I would like to work for you :D

  • Michelle_inva

    I’m in the military, we get 30 days of paid leave each year plus the National holidays. That’s not bad, and you might be jealous but remember it is the military, you do have to give up certain things, be away from your family for extended periods of time, stay fit and healthy and work long hours (our norm is 12 – 15 hours per day). Other than that I love my job and I like having that much leave per year, so I enjoy it.

  • Mlorang

    You would have thought you would have at least texted me a pic of the pyramids. LOL
    Great idea!

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      Thanks Dad.

    • http://www.benjaminhowarth.com/ Benjamin Howarth

      ROFL. Totally pwned!

  • http://twitter.com/pug Ef Rodriguez

    I’m not Dutch, but I just moved to Amsterdam. Um, this post is awesome. And Brad is rad.

  • http://twitter.com/amk_boCO Andreas M Kavountzis

    Nicely done guys!

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      Thanks Andreas!

  • http://twitter.com/JonBuccella Jonathan Buccella

    I love this post because I had never heard of your company until now. Just a testament that knowledge share definitely adds significant value in some unmeasurable ways.

    I commend you on what your doing. As a person who is always bouncing between one email account to the other coordinating things trying to ‘make things happen’ (even working a full time job while working with a startup) you easily justify to yourself that theres no ‘time’ for a vacation.

    Not only is there time, but it’s a must. On the surface, $7500 seems like a significant amount per person but I think it is a very interesting experiment to see what your ROI is on that investment on increased productivity. Awesome concept with a lot of discovery around it. I am excited to see outcome. Hopefully you’ll share, otherwise I’d love to inquire further with you about it.

    PS. Nice hiring segway, got me looking…

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      thanks Jonathan!

  • bahadir cambel

    In Netherlands, we have 12 salary + 95% of a month’s salary for vacation. And the vacations must be at least 25 days in a year. Most big companies offer 13 or 14 + salaries as well.

    • Pascal Bourguignon

      Which basically means that the employees are lending cash to the enterprise for 6 or 12 months.

  • fury

    you had me at the title. Where do I sign up? I’m looking for a new job come september.

  • http://twitter.com/clareyt Clare

    Obsessed with this idea. Does Full Contact need a social media/content manager? ;)

    • James

      No, because nobody needs a social media/content manager. Its a made up job.

      • http://dorkitude.com/ Kyle Wild

        Wrong.

  • Josh Farkas

    Inspirational. Thanks for sharing this.

    Thinking about adopting the same now at my firm. :)

  • Paul Mason

    What a great idea! I see from other comments it’s normal in the EU: well depending on your job, it isn’t normal in New Zealand (we’d still answer emails, calls etc). Now that I’m in the US I guess I just thought that everywhere was the same (which it seems to be in the US, but with slightly less holidays).

    If I were in Denver I’d definitely apply but unfortunately I’ve fallen in love with San Francisco and heavily dislike telecommuting (I get too lonely on my own!)

  • http://drewfrey.com/ Drew Frey

    I don’t believe I’ll ever be able to look at another vacation policy the same again. Thanks for that.

    I’d love to see your GA stats on your Hiring page today. Most visited? You betcha.

    • http://www.chargenevier.com Charlotte Genevier

      Oh no, Bart is making us slave-drivers at SocialEngine look bad! :-P

      • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

        you know it ;-) I expect copycats.

        • http://drewfrey.com/ Drew Frey

          That picture of you…on a camel…in Egypt, nearly made me fall out of my chair and cause a ‘scene’ in Amante here.

          • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

            ha! not one of my prouder moments ;-) but I may as well own it! That was pre-TechStars, btw!

  • mattrhubbard

    This is awesome.

  • Sara Conrad

    Awesome. I’ve worked companies where employees don’t take vacation or have it maxed out, they come to work sick etc. US employees work more than any other nation and why? Studies have shown that taking breaks, vacations bring recharged people back to the office. I applaud this idea. +1,000,000!

  • http://twitter.com/scoobybluu Nik

    I’m in love. And seeking employment.

    Jokes aside (not that that was a joke), this is a brilliant concept and a great way to increase/create long-lasting employee loyalty and retention. A+, guys!

  • None

    “Ideas invade my brain constantly.” Seriously? Are you implying you are a cognisant human being and, like everyone else, have thoughts? Or is this a pretentious statement of difference?

    “.. We don’t know. It’s a giant experiment. We’ll find out.” Really? “giant”? Your a big ideas man! How could you not consider taking a survey or get a study done? If it’s “giant” a study, this should be fairly easy. Does everyone get 7500 or do they need proof they spent that much and only reimbursed for what they spent?

    I think you’re going to see people bitch or tension arising from this when people start taking vacations. If this really is “giant”, it’ll cause tension. If you’re a small company with equality in staff, then you might see this minimized. I think in general this is a bad idea. Further, this could be against employment law, I’d talk to a lawyer.

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      everyone gets a $7,500 vacation bonus.

    • Jenkjl

      Thanks for the wet blanket, Mr./Ms. Cup-Half-Empty!

    • Anon NY

      Are you Mitt Romney by any chance?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Claudius-Raphael/100000515555173 Claudius Raphael

    Definitely an American thing. We’ve traditionally had difficulty establishing the true meaning and worth of a vacation. Until now of course.

  • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

    Oui! J’aime Montréal

  • Horace Nelson

    Jeez. I was just reading one of your job openings. You guys are rockin, between your benefits and your tech. If I lived in Denver instead of NYC, you’d be up to your necks in copies of my resume. Perhaps I’ll submit one anyway just in-case you guys wise-up to the whole remote employee idea (we have several, and have had zero issues with it).

    And whatever, Europeans. You’re like children, taking the time to comment just to thumb your noses and go “Ooooh, in Europe it is soooo much better.” 15 days (that’s work days) is 3 weeks. Plus federal holidays. (As an aside, at MTV Networks, we also get 6 personal days per year).

    And do they pay for your vacations in Europe? I think not. That’s a win for FullContact (clever name).

    • http://twitter.com/rad_g Rad G

      Ummm, yes, vacation is paid in Europe mate…

      • yet_another_european

        No, a vacation bonus like the one the article is not standard in Europe.
        “paid vacation” in Europe usually just means that you continue to receive your salary while on vacation, though some contracts do pay a vacation bonus, usually some fraction of the salary.

        That said, 15 days is below the legal minimum of paid vacation days in virtually every European country. Legal minimum is at least 20, companies often offer up to 30 days. Yes, work days. That is 4-6 weeks. Plus federal holidays.

        Yeah, things are different in the US, but reading this article boasting this oh-so-cool vacation policy, I can’t help feeling a bit underwhelmed.

      • Pascal Bourguignon

        Vacations, like any other “advantage”, are paid by the employees. If the employee doesn’t produce more than what he costs to the enterprise, it cannot make a benefit, and will go bankrupt (or hopefully, the employee will be fired before that happens).

  • http://www.facebook.com/wetzler Michelle Wetzler

    Loved this post.

  • freds4hb

    Well done!
    An addendum to the $7,500. Have one GREAT camera (or a few at the office). You take the camera with you and put a new media card in it just for recording the trip. You always have a great way to take pictures/video and never need to bring your phone with you! (ok, it should be in a pack, SEALED WITH TAPE and OFF to be used for DIRE EMERGENCIES, for instance you need a hospital, bail, or the army). Barring that, NO PHONES (if there are people in your group, get some darn walkie talkies).
    Now go have fun!
    (and yes, Brad is always the right one to confirm awesomeness, he knows it when he sees it!)

  • Karthik

    Just so you know, this is a standard thing in Indian govt. organizations. My parents both worked for nationalized banks all their life. Once every 4 yrs, they would get what was called LFC (Leave Fare Concession) where your travel to anywhere in India was paid for by the bank for you, your spouse, and your dependents. With both my parents in banks, I’d get to go to nice places once every two years.

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  • Elliott

    This was hilarious and an awesome idea– Kudos, Bart.

  • http://twitter.com/peb4j Peter Boyd

    Wanted to read this post but the stupid social share tab opened up over the entire article and wouldn’t close

  • http://eriwen.com/ Eric Wendelin

    Nice idea, Bart. Perhaps the first of many I’m going to steal from you ;)

  • Marnie

    I hate the modern corporate culture of feeling guilty for leaving work early a few days or going on vacation. >:(

  • Anonymous

    I tip my hat to you sir! Great idea for attracting and retaining motivated people who will care about their work product!!

  • Ben H.

    This generates challenges w/ taxable income and what not… and basically is giving a raise to everyone (and depending on the level of employee, a $7,500 could be a 25% raise in salary.

    That said, I love the idea of forcing time off and disconnections, but I am not afraid to take vacation myself, so if it were me, I’d rather have the money, even if a big percent were paid to the government in taxes.

  • brandonmwest

    This is an awesome policy. I think it’s been forwarded to the management team at SendGrid a few times already ;)

    I’ll say it again: The best reason to work at FullContact is the world-class team. Everything else is gravy.

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      Tell Jim: “Bring It”

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=503290758 Justin Steele

    Interesting idea and concept Bart. Now that you have hopefully found a solution to getting applications for your open/available positions… how are you going to efficiently and effectively get through the piles of them? :-)

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  • http://marianlibrarian.com Marian Schembari

    This is absolutely genius! I hope other companies (big hint already delivered to my boss) take this info on board. There’s nothing worse than needing (or feeling like you need) to check your work emails while driving through the South Island of New Zealand ;-)

  • Nick Bliss

    I’ll be suggesting this to my employer haha

  • Rebekkah Hilgraves

    WANT! Need a training media producer? ;-)

    http://www.linkedin.com/in/shetech

  • Rachel

    I love working with my patients. But the vacation time stinks. No holidays. If it is Monday-Friday I work, even if it is Christmas, Labor Day, etc. I accrue PTO at a rate that equals about 18 days a year. I can’t use those days any time. We have to be able to find coverage, and holidays are even harder to cover. I would love to see improved work life balance in healthcare. I give all day to my patients. Every once in a while I need to recharge my batteries.

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  • numpty

    Employees would probably much rather you just doubled up their annual leave to 30 days, or at least 25 which would be nearer the European norm. Fifteen days is pretty pathetic for a Western industrialized nation.

  • http://www.nithin.net Nithin

    Yup, same here, can I work for you please????? ;)

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  • http://twitter.com/DonMak Don Makoviney

    This sounds great, except for the part about Robbie being naked.

    • Xorlev

      We’re /pretty/ sure he wasn’t. Maybe.

  • Fede

    I am pretty sure this is the way vacations work pretty much all over the world except in the US.

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  • http://twitter.com/apapadimoulis Alex Papadimoulis

    An interesting concept — and it sure brought the snooty Europeans out in droves :-)

    What’s distinctly missing from the comments is the American perspective, and as I’m apparently the only non-apologetic American who stumbled across this, here goes. The fact is that we Americans prefer tangible things over vacations. You have any idea what kind of flat screen and sound system $7500 could pay for!?

    I do, and it’s unbelievably awesome. How do I know this? Because I saved up to buy one *instead* of going to Spain or Maui or something. Sure, you Europeans have a fun, expensive week or two here and there, but I’ve got a kick-ass home entertainment system that I can enjoy EVERY SINGLE DAY.

    Give me another $7,500, and it’s going straight into my basement – I’d like to drywall down there. The next $7,500? Hmm… the garage could use a heater.

    Point is, I see spending $7,500 on a trip as a waste of money (unless it’s a honeymoon or something) when I can spend a few hundred bucks for a weekend away. As do a lot of Americans. It’s not that we’re ignorant, “oppressed” by not having mandatory vacation laws, or anything like that — we just prefer to have things over short vacations. True story.

    Obviously, I’m not going to complain about getting a free expensive-ass vacation, nor will your employees. But I’d all-but guarantee that they’d prefer that $7,500 payment goes to their mortgage. Or literally anything else.

    • http://twitter.com/JeremyHutchings Jeremy Hutchings

      “The fact is that we Americans prefer tangible things over vacations.”

      I believe there is a very tangible benefit to travel, relaxing, experiencing different cultures (or any culture), actually becoming worldly. More so, that just buying more *stuff*.

    • Guest

      You’ll love the Dutch system then. You get 13 paychecks instead of 12. The extra paycheck is meant to cover your vacation, but if vacation is not your thing, feel free to spent it on paper walls. Whatever you decide to do with the extra money, you’ll have about 5 weeks (instead of 3) to enjoy it non-stop.

    • Didn’t Drink the Kool-Aid

      Excellent representation of the American mindset that got us unto this workaholic predicament in the first place. When you’re old and revisiting your life through memories, I hope that (long since) broken-super-awesome flat screen brings you lots of joy and wonderful stories to tell about it. And when you’re living in a home or somewhere else far away from that basement you can remember how glorious that drywall was.

      I’ll be revisiting all of the amazing places I traveled to and reliving the moments I actually experienced for myself with real humans, instead of watching people in a make believe box in a make believe land get paid to pretend.

      I’m passing this hiring page along to my husband. He’s a genius. ;oD

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1426463428 Jane McNally

      You’re probably right, Alex but as an American myself who cannot afford to take such an awesome vacation BECAUSE I spend a lot of my disposable income on things, it would be nice to have a company say “here, take this money and go with your family and enjoy the vacation you can’t take”. I would welcome it with opened arms and would LOVE to work for a company that cares that their employees are well rested, off grid and would come back rejuvinized! I see NOTHING bad about this at all!

    • Anon NY

      $7,500 could see me round the world for at least 3 months. The only reason you think it’s a waste of money is you have no idea how to spend that kind of money wisely on a vacation.
      If you prefer to stay home, fine. But as yet I haven’t met anyone who thinks I’m crazy for seeing 6 continents and 51 countries for the cost of about 2 years average living costs in New York City.

    • Nobody

      Their policy says you can sit on your couch in front of your brand new $7500 entertainment system. They just want you out of the office for a week or so to recharge. Some folks who would never have considered using that much of their salary on a trip to Maui for a week now have the means to do so without feeling guilty about diverting some of their regular salary from their usual obligations.

      That being said, I like to travel, but there’s no way I’d want to blow $7500 on a vacation every year until my mortgage was paid off, my kids were out of college, etc. Other folks (the kind that rack up tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt) might have a different view.

      Side note: my current company only gives you 10 paid days off per year to start. After 10 years of service, you get another 5 days.

    • tommy

      And that’s why you won’t be hired there – wrong mindset. You’re the problem, and your comments elucidate (or spell out) the issue. “Snooty,” is exactly what you’ve written, in exactly the tone you’ve written it.

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  • Thinkjc

    Bart, very cool concept. I’ll be curious to see how things turn out.

    Similarly, Brett Hurt has built a great culture at BazaarVoice through creative approaches to standard company policies. You can check some of them out here: http://www.bazaarvoice.com/resources/videos/culture-bazaarvoice

    My understanding:

    - Vacation policy – there isn’t one. Vacation is between you and your manager – you take as much as you need and set expectations with your team.
    - Gifts – when an employee has a “life changing event” (marriage, kids, etc), the company purchases a gift on the order of $500. Taking this approach drives retention in multiple ways.
    - Expense policy – expenses under a certain amount do not require management approval (I believe it’s on the order of $10,000). The idea is that you should hire people you can trust; if you can’t trust them with $10k, they shouldn’t be working for you.

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      Love these.

      But studies have shown that “Unlimited vacation” policies cause employees to take less vacation than they normally would. Not good in my book.

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  • geechee_girl

    Love the idea of the forced, enforced, endorsed disconnect – so healthy, so hard for employees to feel ok doing if it doesn’t come from the top.

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      Totally.

  • Dad

    *GREAT* idea. Sure makes me want to work there! I personally would trade the $2500 for an extra week (maybe allow one check in after 2 weeks?) because if you’re traveling far then the days lost due to travel and timezone change recovery add up.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1578624393 Julie Todd Foster

    Is nepotism allowed?

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  • Beth

    This man really is in touch with what will inspire his employees to be dedicated. He understands the concept of ‘burn out’ andbacked it up with company money. Kudos to you. If we only had more like you in this world.

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      thanks Beth!

  • Annelot from the Netherlands

    I will pitch this idea to my boss. I’m a manager myself and I think this is a awsome idea to motivated employees and have more benifits as a employer. Great great idea! Greetings from Holland!

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      thanks!

  • Cecilia

    Wat een leuk idee van u zeg, geweldig, wat zullen uw werknemers met veel enthousiame op vakantie gaan.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/asanab76 Alex Sanabria

    Clicks “hiring” link – “maniacal laugh, maniacal laugh”

  • Valkyrie Page

    That sounds like a marvelous idea. My experience as part of the American work force is that most companies give you ten business days of paid time off which includes both vacation and sick time. If you need to take a sick day, you have nine days left. In fact, if you need to take any time off at all, it comes out of that pool. I know parents who have had to use all of their paid time off just to cover their children’s sick days and doctor appointments. There is no guarantee that you will get all federal holidays off. You may just get one day each for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and July 4th, assuming that Christmas and July don’t fall on a weekend. If you are fortunate, you may work for a company that will grant you five more days if you work for them at least three years.
    If you want to take time off for a vacation and you actually have the money to take a trip, you then need to make sure that there will be someone to cover for you while you are gone. In many cases, if you have a work phone (or in previous times a pager) you may be called, paged, and emailed with the expectation that you will respond. This makes it almost impossible to relax while you are away. You are either responding to work communications or you are on edge waiting for the expected call or email.
    As an American worker, I have always worked very hard every day. I have rarely worked an 8-hour day because although I manage my time well, others have not because they like to be “last-minute heroes,” causing my work day to expand to 9-10 hours. I have never gone out on a work night. I have always come home tired after working hard all day. Many companies pressure workers to work late to show their loyalty to the company and their “team spirit.” All of these factors lead to burn out.
    The idea that not only are you expected to take a decent vacation but you don’t need to stress out over saving up the money to do so is absolutely brilliant! Add to that the expectation that you will disconnect and not be on an electronic leash, and you have a recipe for relaxation. Not all Americans want to amass a ton of material goods. Some of us just want a break.

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  • Vajari

    Is it really possible?

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  • http://www.kineplay.com/ben Ben Milstead

    Truly excellent move.

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      Thanks!

  • Latino1181

    are there positions in northern new jersey? If yes can you list them?

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  • Dawn L.

    1. I am an American (so many Europeans in these comments!). In the US, getting 15 days of paid vacation is considered pretty good – standard is closer to 10 days. Yes, I agree, it’s completely ridiculous.

    2. I LOVE this idea.

    3. Plenty of Americans would love to have more time off rather than acquire more “stuff.” American companies just don’t give that as an option. (Incidentally, neither do Asian ones, which have an even more workaholic culture.) My last employer had a culture where taking an hour to answer an email was considered far too long, and the company encouraged employees to work late, be on call 24-7, and answer emails while on vacation. One boss literally said to me (only half-joking): “I own you now.” Which is why I’ve specifically organized my life to be a freelancer so that I do get flexibility. And yes, I’ve traded stability and income for freedom. It would not be difficult to get a well-paying corporate job.

    4. I’d never heard of Full Contact before this, and suddenly I want to work for you – and use your products! Just signed up for the Beta launch.

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  • http://twitter.com/QualityNinja QA Ninja

    Outstanding idea. I think even if firms can provide a group buying option or some sort of discount or upgrade, its a start. This is great.

  • Ovidiu Baba

    i would like to work for you , from 8 years i never have a vacantion and i’m working every day from 8 to 22 , 7 days on week , 30 days on month or 31 … i promis i will never work for you in my vacantion , i will totaly ignore you . :) mail me

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  • Tara Foster

    G’day,

    Are you hiring super cool Aussie TV Producers by any chance? ;-) just a shot in the dark!

  • Chuck Robbins2

    Looking for some awesome accountants by chance? ;o)

  • Adam Graham

    I am a technical recruiter for a contract agency and former U.S. Air Force recruiter. If you EVER need a full-time technical recruiter I would be willing to move my family to CO and join your team. Your attitudes and policies are proof that there are still good “people companies” out there. It’s not all about clients, but if you treat your workers right, it can be AND MORE! I am serious about the offer, here’s my LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=176177938&trk=tab_pro

    Cheers for now!
    Adam Graham

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      thanks Adam — send in your resume under the “I Just want to work for FullContact” position at http://www.fullcontact.com/jobs

  • Trish Ratliff

    Count me in! Although it would be difficult for me to put my phone down since I carry it in my hand everywhere I go! And yes, even when I have been on vacations in the past I have carried my phone in my hand like it is attached and don’t get me wrong, I do get a lot of grief over it from friends and family but this would be a great experiment for me to leave the phone at home lay on the table! Although I may suffer a withdraw of some sorts, it is nothing that I am sure seeing the Eiffel Tower or the beaches of the Bahamas could not fix. So tell me what I need to do….

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      Hi Trish — apply at http://www.fullcontact.com/jobs and know this: the worst is the first 3 days …after that it’s cool!

  • Shakea Melbourne

    Well, that being said(the vacation complaints below) I have filled out for a few positions for the job. Hopefully I have the opportunity to interview, being that I am just a ball of awesomness waiting to happen with a jar full of ideas on the side…but anywho shorts and flip flips would also be great office attire! Just my opinion. Good Night- :)

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      thanks Shakea ;-)

  • Andrew Cassidy

    A company that treats it’s people great!! How I would love to reward such a company with dedicated service!

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      Thanks Andrew!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1390001026 Sheryl Beckwith

    I am so jealous. I wish I could work for you.Unfortunately my degree that I will be getting soon, isn’t what you are needing. I wish more companies were like yours.

  • http://about.me/vsrivastava vishal srivastava

    Great benefits for employees. I had a similar idea like FullContact. I would love to be a product manager/designer for FullContact and to be able to integrate my ideas into what you are trying to achieve. It is also because I am considering to change career to product manager from software dev. But I wonder if you sponsor/transfer work visa/GC ?

  • LSM67

    Sounds like a great plan, wish we could do this for our employees. However, when funding comes from outside sources it sure makes it easier. I’ll be curiuos to see how long this program lasts once you are forced to independently support the company with profit not a piggy bank.

  • http://www.addvalue.com.au/ Bran Deditems

    My Boss is also a good one. The man taught me kindness and it was the same kindness he showed all his people. Is it any wonder he was a multi-millionaire and had a very strong work force? Employee appreciation results in a lifetime of loyalty and doing the best job for him.

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      thanks Bran!

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  • Lorettailbak

    Kudos to you Mr Lorang! Your heart is in the right place when it comes to your employees. What a great experiment (it’s better to try and fail then to never try at all). A tip that might be helpful for your future vacationers is to have the company do cross-training for all employees in the same dept. This should level out the anxiety of those who are afraid to leave their post as to miss emails, phone calls, etc. The cross training doesn’t have to be where you have full knowledge of their job description but just enough to handle the daily work load until that co-worker returns. My previous employer came up with an idea of letting the employees leave early on one given day of the week. You had to work 36 hrs for 4 days and was able to leave 4 hrs earlier on your designated day. Time made up during these 4 days must be in the same pay period. No borrowing time for future weeks or making up time for previous weeks. For some reason, the employees felt good that they were able to leave early and where able to set up dr, dentist appts during the early day without taking time off/or using their vacation time. I, of course picked Wednesday. Worked Monday & Tuesday, off 1/2 day on Wednesday, worked Thur & Friday. It was a nice break during the week and the weekend always felt like it arrived fast. Best of luck on your experiment. I think your employees are lucky to have such a nice boss, as you are lucky to have great employees. I have been laid off for two yrs now and will check out your employment website. I too have a lot of ideas to share. : )

  • http://twitter.com/hearthforpiano REYANTO

    i trye to gett in contact with u / twitter ect .
    but i understand that u must it so busy to read all the stuff the people write u .

    i don’t want to be a employer . what the most want .
    What i did understand is that u want them ( employers) to take off . and give some time to they family and so on .
    That quality time is important for they life. to push the reset button.

    AND JUST THIS IS SOMETHING ,
    WHERE I CAN DO SOMETHING FOR U AND THE HOLE COMPAGNIE .

    AS HUMAN’S THEY WILL HAVE BENEFIT FOREVER.

    Rey

    mail adres: 2gratitude2@gmail.com

    The netherlands .

    i do not have a image . but some music of me bring some joy :)

    http://www.youtube.com/heartforpiano

  • http://twitter.com/hearthforpiano REYANTO

    my post is gone what i did write here before.
    i will keep it short.

    invite me ,
    u and ur compagnie will have benefit from this .

    mail adres > 2gratitude2@gmail.com

    rey

  • http://charliesaidthat.com/digital charliesaidthat

    Sounds AMAZING. What a great incentive to head off and get inspired.

  • jgn

    >>> SICK DAYS <<<

    This goes to Valkyrie's comment.

    What is your company's policy about sick days? Do they come out of the 15? Is there a limit to the number of paid sick days?

  • http://twitter.com/hearthforpiano REYANTO

    add at twitter. for DM please.
    it is to complex to explain here .
    what i do is so new , and i work with a lot of students (online) worldwide .
    about 6000 now, from chine,new zealand ,canada, usa ,europe, middle east ,india south amerila and afrian countreys also.
    at http://www.4elementtribe.com . i am a enlighted master &teach them.

    i addvice u to add too the 4element. and see my lessons..
    feel and expirience it , and grow .
    i work with a high master frequency .

    on request i can send a part of my book what not been out yett .
    u will understand then WHO I AM

    “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings, having a human experience.”

    MAIL CONTACT ADRES > 2gratitude2@gmail.com

    Rey.

  • http://twitter.com/hearthforpiano REYANTO

    ” Long I have been whispering into your consciousness and for those who have found me
    will live a blessed radiant life in eternal, and for those who did not yet found me,
    they will, dont worry, they will find me. Just be still, be still. ”
    Rey

  • Catchafire678

    I laughed so hard at “For Kyle and Robbie, it’s going to Bonnaroo or Burning Man and getting naked.” At my job, that’s about half of the department (tech support) :) I love having an awesome employer!!! Props to you!!! I wish I was super smart so I could apply!

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  • Johntwosaws

    Decompress with a whitewater rafting trip. Six days on the Middle Fork of the Salmon river with no connections to the outside world. Or six days rafting the Grand Canyon. Two trips can be back to back. Loads of fun and very invigorating.

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  • CW Martin

    Hey, I know I don’t work for you (actually, my plant just closed, so I’m unemployed), nor do I have any experience in your line of work (other than owning a computer and writing a blog), and I’m not even in your area (unless you have a branch in Fort Wayne, Indiana). But if you sign me up for your vacation deal, I promise to abide by all your rules. Question, though- can I bring a digital camera if I do nothiung more than take pictures and charge the battery?

  • Milktoast

    “A family of four” ?? Really? What about families of more than four? What about a guy with 5 or 8 kids? I guess they will have to pay out of pocket or just not take a vacation at all. Way to promote the two children only family.

  • Kjsiem

    What a great concept and a great idea from a company who wants to keep their quality employees happy. But more than the 7500 vacation for me is the absolute sense of humor therein. Working in a place where you can laugh and actually enjoy your time, makes it almost a vacation in and of itself! Kudos!

  • Tina Gyldstrand

    this is so great, what a great company you have and an A for being so creative.

  • Tina Gyldstrand

    do you do any virtual positions

  • http://www.facebook.com/jason.beasley.39 Jason Beasley

    Bart, first, it is pretty interesting that this sentiment is starting to gain traction in the American culture again. And you are right, the ROI on this will far exceed the ICI. The other part is that I think you really want top talent and this is a great way to get it, however, the first image someone sees when they hit your blog is the pic of you on the Camel which is pretty comical and effective. I would redact the *Fing component from the image. Not because I don’t get that coarse language is everywhere and individual perspectives are subject to relative plurality but if it isn’t something that you would use this type of vernacular in front of a “make it or break it” business deal (and if your smart you probably would not)” and when entering into or starting new relationships with valuable assets its best to put the polish on until you get the lay of the land. Not a criticism just a comment as i value your perspective.

  • Jennife Doan

    Hey Bart- I’m a producer at the FOX morning show in Phoenix. Could we please do a phone interview with you live this morning at 8:10 am pacific? it’s for this morning, Monday July 16

  • http://serendipitysmiles.com/ Peggy Nolan

    My husband and I are going on a cruise at the end of the summer and you can bet I’m completely, 100% disconnecting. No cell phone, no laptop. Just my journal and my camera. And neither can connect to the virtual world :-) Love what you are providing your employees. Wish I lived in Denver…I’d apply!

  • http://twitter.com/sandipchaudhari Sandip Chaudhari

    Wow. Love the idea and loved reading the post too!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Don-Brock/1337428696 Don Brock

    My company would probably reward me to drop dead at my desk.

  • http://twitter.com/mooncatrepair MoonCat PC Repair

    After this announcement it may be difficult to take the company to a new level! However, let’s do it. My info was sent to you. We’ll be talking soon.

  • Jeannie

    Want to make that $7,500 go further, or if you have a company that wants to implement an employee travel benefit, check out our website and give us a call.

    http://www.goretention.com

  • Janet

    Do you need a nurse practitioner for your company?

  • Candylotus

    Wow, I’ve spent my entire life just looking for a career that would allow me the time income to afford that type of adventure. Genius.

  • Brenda_wlker7

    Hello Bart,

    How does your company feel about seasoned employees. I’m a very experienced Executive Administrative Assistant but I’m also 54 years old. Would I fit into your company?

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/DWGMCYTXBEPDSDRRONDKPHY45U jayd

    This says a lot about you and your company, keep up the good work!!!

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      thanks Jay!

  • Pamelak

    How awesome is this! I think it’s something missing in the workforce, if we don’t spend time with our families and just having down time productivity goes down and our families and loved ones get neglected. Very good company it seems!

  • http://greggcochran.tumblr.com/ Gregg Cochran

    Hey guys–Kudos about all the great publicity on you and your company. You guys do an amazing job and we are SO thankful for your platform. It makes a BIG difference to us every day. THANK YOU! :)

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  • http://twitter.com/thecoachmack Coach Mack Arrington

    Wow Bart, you sound leading edge to me! I have a copy of a research paper that says employees withhold 40% of discretionary productivity that you can’t buy with a paycheck. Buying it with a vacation is a totally different idea, you’re treating people like real human beings and I love it. Lots of positive responses you’re getting.

    I am a PCC credentialed Work-Life Success Coach who helps people in business get unstuck and find their happy place. I work mostly by phone. Do you have some good folks you want to develop or tweak?

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  • http://twitter.com/ink4ink Edward R. Mikol

    Bart L.,

    Can I use the $7500 as a future-vacation incentive to retrain for an app developer position?

    Glad to sign a contract to join FullContact once my skills meet your needs for however long you like.

    Currently a freelance writer and independent book seller [barebiblios] looking to get into the app field

    but can’t fund the lucre leap thx to tepid economy.

    Ready to conceptually retool ~and have an attitude in harmony with your own: work hard; play soft.

    Best!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000140721055 Bernee Martin

    Wow, I was really impressed when I read about your new policy for your company. One of my dreams for a long time has been to go on a really exotic vacation somewhere, (not just traveling to visit in-laws), but there is never the opportunity, energy and money all at the same time. And I love the idea of disconnecting and really focusing on the special moments and the place, the new culture, and especially on the people you are with or whom you meet on your trip.

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  • TReese

    Bart, While you may be way past reading all these comments (but another compliment to you as reading them takes time but could help you with wonderful ideas and you realize it)… but I posted an article on my blog about this perk of yours.

    http://www.thefeelgooddepot.com/

    I don’t get a ton of traffic but maybe someone with the skill sets you are looking finds it and applies.
    I truly wish your company the best. Keep doing what you are doing!!

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/3LATM6XMSHBKYUXIMQZSQVZO54 Rhonda

    Sounds to good to be true to me

  • Mcboys8575

    Wonderful idea. I was curious if employees with families disapproved of single employees receiving the same amount. Any feedback on that?

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      None so far. Also, I don’t believe single folks should be punished because they happen to be single. That’d be discriminatory.

    • http://disqus.com/iberite iberite

      stop whining. I suppose if you won the lottery you would want to share with your entire family?
      Be real.

      NOvember Nobama
      (anyone wishing to make this a bumper sticker, please go ahead (capitalism at it’s best)

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  • http://www.mmo-symposium.com rsmarsha

    Wow, this kind of thing would never happen in the UK!

    If only I could have a job like that, shame I live over the pond. :(

  • http://disqus.com/iberite iberite

    So , if I have an idea that could earn your company millions…would I qualified?

    Yes , I have a brillant idea.
    YOU and Spacex

    NOvember NObam

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  • Jobouche

    Now this is someone who understand that happy employees are very good employees.. It is sad that I am a french Canadian, I would have apply to work with awesome people like you Bart Lorang!

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      thanks!

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  • Trinidadal

    Hi Bart just saw you on msnbc and this is what a company should be about. I commend you on your Guiding principles and your focus on your employees. I posted this article to my FB page…keep up the good work.

  • Judy from Canada..

    Boy would I love all companies to do this..It is so beneficial in the long run to them..I myself go once a year to Mexico,do not own a cel phone,never tweet and would have no problem adhering to the ‘rules’..I do check in on mail once or twice but hink I could forego that to have them pay for my trip..Heck it would always be a 2 week vacation from here in..(can only afford 1 week)..AWESOME idea Bart!!!! Canadian companies should follow!!!

    • Judy..

      *think

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      thanks Judy ;-)

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/VJP2NNN4KEC3L2XEOP3TKIOM3I Jo Ann

    I just applied! What an amazing company to work for!

  • http://www.kimskitchensink.com Kim’s Kitchen Sink

    What a fantastic attitude to take – I’m definitely going to be sharing these philosophies with our leaders…we may not be at a “pay people to take vacation” stage yet, but I think every company can learn from your example when it comes to preparing for people to be off the grid, and creating a culture that allows people to unplug! I went off the grid recently for 24 days (honeymoon in Europe — what is it about honeymoons and unplugging ;) but still ended up checking my email…though I didn’t respond to anything except a “go team!” announcement about exciting product stuff. Even then though, I felt like I probably should have resisted the temptation to email AT ALL! This is why I like vacations to the mountains…camping = no cell service!

  • Edson dos Reis

    This could happen here in Spain. It would be amazing!!

  • Johnwithaar

    Congratulations Bart! on the success of your company. It is very impressive what you and your team have achieved in such a short period of time, and the fantastic culture you’re created. This is such an inspiration!

  • http://twitter.com/IbiscusMedia ValentinaMartelli

    I’m an Italian, so I used to spend 3 weeks a year on vacation….but now I live in LA…so I’m not use to vacation anymore….please help!

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1426463428 Jane McNally

    Absolutely AMAZING. I have worked for a Fortune 100 company for almost 30 years and honestly, the perks have gone down hill over the years. Now, I’m just a number and I hate that. Back in 1983, when I was 23 and just started, employees mattered and I truly miss that. I’ve actually sent my resume to you guys as a “I Just Want to Work for FullContact” because I am not a technical person…but who knows, maybe someday, you’ll need someone like me :) Congratulations on being a company that actually encourages their employees to disconnect during a vacation. I haven’t done that in many years…oh sure, I take vacation but I’m checking email every day and frankly, it’s expected and that’s just the sad reality of most employers!

  • Raideret24

    I wish big corporates would do that Safeway for one I have 27 years I make 14.51 hour we don’t get bonuses or Xmas parties not even a thank you your case looked good they need to take a lesson from you .I give you props your company will succeed cause it sounds like your not greedy you care about your employees Best of luck raideret24

  • Veronique Ely

    great demonstration!! thanks
    A vacation’addict..

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  • Marlon

    Like most Europeans I’m critical of the lack of vacations in the US; contrary to right wing opinions it’s not just for my own selfish lazy-ass reasons , but I really do feel Americans need more time off. There is a high burn out rate in IT here in the US because companies generally give a max of 2 weeks off for your first 3 to 5 years ( in IT 3 years in one company is an age) and expect people to work long hours. The mythical 4 weeks vacation or “golden handcuffs” only get grudgingly gifted to you after 15 years; in some places there is also an unwritten law that taking all of it is “disloyal”. Note there is a couple of well known large IT companies that are known for “churning and burning” kids straight out of university by working them 80 hours a week.

    Even in Japan and South Korea they have 2 weeks off by law, and companies force people to go home after a certain time to prevent Karoshi ( work related deaths ). I think it’s a matter of time before people start sueing for “wrongful death”, I think that’s the only way things will change.

    From an employers point of view making people go on holiday/vacation makes sound business sense. A person that’s rested and relaxed is more alert and generally has more “go”, thinks better and is more productive. In a small company burning out your people means your loosing “institutional memory” which translates into a loss of productivity or clients (money) .There is plenty of studies that substantiates this.

    True story: I once ACED an interview got offered the job, only to be offered $10,000 less; this didn’t piss me off but the fact that I had to work one whole year before receiving my one solitary week of vacation. I was incandescent red, and flatly turned down the job, and refused to negotiate.

  • Marlon

    P.S. Kudos Bart, I hope you make billions.

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      Thanks Marlon!

  • Androobe

    Amazing, and as (another) European who has just moved to the US (for family reasons), I wish more would follow your lead. Not only is paid time off important, but the opportunity to see the world (which, for $7,500 you could see anywhere in the world!) beats any physical item hands down – your employees will also become more aware of the world and other cultures, have loads of great experiences and no doubt inspire each other with new places to visit.
    If only you were in NY area I would love to work for you, for once I even read your “about me” section on the job description and went, “WOW that really is me!”
    As someone who’s travelled a lot, if you ever want some inspiration for your next vacation, get in touch!
    Unfortunately my experience here has been poor, my (American) wife who has a professional job, had to beg to get more than TEN days off per year and then her boss insisted she checked in on email DURING OUR HONEYMOON!. I was shocked and appalled and am desperate to make sure we end up in jobs that don’t kill us with stress. In the UK the legal minimum days off this year (paid) is 20 plus 9 bank holidays. Most people get more, including me who gave up 28 + 9! The short sightedness of most companies here is beyond belief when it comes to work life balance. Under the “benefits” section of jobs I’m applying for, so far I have seen only 1 (apart from yours) in several hundred mention paid time off, it’s all just about health insurance!

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  • Geek224466

    What is FullContact’s interview and hiring process like?

    Every high tech company claims that there is a shortage of software developers, yet most companies grill the candidates as if they’re suspects in a crime – and then they take forever to extend offers to candidates they supposedly love.

    All too often, a company seems to think that the best developers are ones that can stand up to a panel of at least 10 people at the other end of the table. And then there’s the 2nd interview, 3rd, interview, 4th interview, 5th interview…

    And then the stupid questions like “How long would it take a crew of six window washers to wash all the windows on all the buildings in Denver?” Yeah, if you can’t answer questions like this, you must suck as a software developer.

    And then most companies act as though there is some imaginary law that states that once one extends an offer to a developer, the company cannot get rid of that developer – ever!

    If software companies were stranded hikers in the desert, they would refuse rescue and water until they had several months to scrutinize the rescue workers and the quality of the water being provided.

  • Geek224466

    I view this paid vacation benefit with suspicion. It wasn’t too long ago that management told developers and other high-tech employees “Be happy you have a job! People in India / China / (insert other random third-wold country here) will happy do your job for a tenth of the cost. Also, people in (third-world country) have no life outside of work, they work 20 hours a day, don’t take vacation, etc. This is capitalism! Us Americans need to “be competitive” and, if employees in the rest of the world work 20 hours a day, we must do so to!

    Now we have managers like Bart trying to say that we SHOULD have a life outside of work? Won’t Indian and Chinese companies soon be out-competing FullContact?

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  • Mevans0507

    Absolutely genious! I recently went with my husband and children to Disney World for a week. I received at least 10 phone calls a day from work (state agency) and constantly worried about how much we spent. What a refreshing concept you have. I certainly wish that I had the resume to obtain a position in your group! Keep up the great ideas!

  • Slimstar404

    This is a great ,GREAT, GREAT IDEAL. Oh did I mention this is a GREAT Ideal. Your words about the ideas that kept coming back are inspiring and makes me think, maybe I should apply the ideal that keep coming back concept are worth looking into!. I wish that I had the qualifications or met them to become a employee at your company. I’m a single parent who lives in Mississippi and I would definitely be on the first flight out of here to apply, if I met the qualifications to even attempt to apply for a position there. I work in the restaurant business and that takes up a lot of my time to the point it feels like my son gets my left overs and I have to muscle up the strength to do something fun with him. It’s wonderful to know that people with your consideration of others and your employees still exists. Oh did I mention how GREAT your idea is. You have inspired me!
    Happy Trails!
    Thechare’,
    slimstar404@yahoo.com

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  • http://profile.yahoo.com/BKG43X3VZNSSBC2R5STV75R45M andreea

    Hi.I am Andreea Apostu a girl from Romania,Europe.I have finished the master study in ecology and i dont find a job.I am a simple person.
    Now i no have any money.I want to work,to have a job!!!!HIRE ME SOMEBODY!!!without applying.I am very depressed and angry that i dont have a job.Please help me who can help me or is a good person at heart!!!
    If you have serious messages leave here please.I want to work,to be loyal in society.I no have experience.I am a honest person.
    In Romania the salary is 300 euro average salary.A flat to rent is 300 euro,an apartment 30.000 de Euro.I stay with my parents now but i want to have my life and my job.
    Momentanly i live in the village Cabesti, Romania.
    In Romania are harsh times then in rest of Europe.
    Thanks to all.Andreea Apostu from Romania,Europe.

  • Raquel Delgado Galicia

    Where can I apply for it? The link does not work!!!!
    I am really willing to be the best on my job!

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      Try FullContact.com/jobs

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  • Chris Saunders

    Hey Bart I heard your interview on a “am” radio show! it was interesting and certainly different! Hey I know you get this allot but you said one can start a position with a minimum of 4 months training! I understand there are different positions with varied exp necesarry but what training or classes would I have to actually be employed in this field? should I go to a local comm college for input?any help would be appreciated! thanks!
    chris in oklahoma

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  • Jeff Robinson

    Is your company profitable?
    If yes, what is your profit per employee? Then possibly a paid holiday may be in order.
    If no, don’t you think you should focus on profitability first so that you will be able to keep the doors open and the light on?

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  • cocacola

    I assume the Office Manager position has been filled? As I no longer see it on the list.

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  • Phil Abbott

    Are you looking for a Telecom Engineer???
    I can’t take a day of PTO without getting calls. They don’t get it when I tell them I am “Unavailable”. My manager has to ask if that means by cell phone too!
    I had knee surgery one morning and was called before noon. Under the influence of pain killers I can only hope I gave them a correct solution to the problem:-).
    I would so love to work for someone who values their employee completely disconnecting so they could ENJOY taking personal time off!

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  • Cliff

    Bart, I used to work for you. Will this rule apply retrospectively? Can I get back-paid for the 3 months I spent in Spain? Don’t be cheap…

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      Cliff: you’re a Doctor now. I am not worried. But, if you’d like to join FullContact, there are a number of positions available.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=7807970 Sarah Greesonbach

    Clearly bringing class back to the workplace – thank you for setting a phenomenal example for workplaces everywhere!

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      Thanks Sarah

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  • Internationally minded

    Has no one mentioned Australia? I lived there six years and by law employees get MORE money for their vacations. Why? Duh! Well, on vacations you need to spend more. So you should get paid more. Did I mention Aussies call it “the lucky country” and it’s the one developed country that didn’t experience a recession last time around?

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      that’s awesome

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  • http://www.facebook.com/Kaiservadin James McGee

    $7,500 oh yea i am going to get a lawn chair put it on a pier and watch the crystal blue water for hours while slowly fall asleep and let all my problems go away , i want to work for your company but i am not sure what your company does . but that $7500 will sure make me take the vocation i wanted to !

  • je

    Until you’re old and senile, memories of places you’ve already forgotten aren’t worth as much as the comfort zone created by ownership. If it’s a car, boat or plane you own, you can use it to “go” on vacation. If you pay to go on somebody else’s thing, like a cruise line, it is only a memory and you have nothing material of value to replace the money spent. Going on vacation is safe for me because I don’t have a cell phone or other encumbrance!

  • patricia

    This is awesome. I work in the traditional Corporation where you struggle just to get a couple days off….

    • http://fullcontact.com/ Bart Lorang

      Thanks Patricia!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1295505464 David Smith

    Making the company and employees connect at a “family” level is an amazing experiment. Keep sharing new ideas so the rest of us that don’t work for you can at least dream a little. Most of us have gone from valued employee to a resource …. Which needs to change!