It's no secret that vacations are vital to the sanity of every full-time employee, but what happens when all of their allotted break time is being sucked up by sick days and family emergencies?   Instead of planning their getaways to Disneyland or the Caribbean, employees are instead forfeiting dreams of relaxation in the name of taking their kid to the doctor's office. There is no denying that it is important for workers not to skimp on time spent in the office, but most agree that it is unfair to have to surrender what would be mental health days in order to complete mundane tasks. Studies show that workers are more productive when they take vacations, and many companies are beginning to come to the realization that a strict PTO policy may not be the way to go in terms of supporting a healthy work environment. 

Thankfully, some companies have come to recognize that their current policies may be outdated and they are beginning to utilize a new tactic called "endless summer" or more formally known as unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO). This means that an employee's vacation time, sick days, and other inconveniences are all rolled into one discretionary plan. I'm one of the lucky employees who will benefit from unlimited PTO since PayScale has just adopted this policy. 

Unlimited PTO is good news for workers who need the flexibility they need to manage chaotic home lives without risking their career status. These same employees can avoid running the risk of damaging their reputation as long as they are getting their work done efficiently. This innovative policy takes a detour from the traditional belief that employees need to put in as much face time as possible if they want to avoid losing their position.