Now that NPR has done a nice followup story about our unlimited paid leave policy, we've had a lot of comments and questions about how it's possible, why we did it, and whether it could work elsewhere.  Sometimes the confines of an interview don't allow for full expansion on these ideas, so here are some answers to the questions I've seen out there in cyberspace.


Q: Is there anyone in the office right now?
A: Well, it's Saturday, so probably not, but if you made a surprise visit during the week, you'd find a full house.

Q: Sure, but doesn't this put pressure on people to not take any time off?
A: Part of our written policy requires everyone to take at least two weeks off.

Q: Do you keep track of time off at all?
A: We do keep track.

Q: You're just rooking people out of their accrued vacation...
A: When someone leaves the company, they get paid for whatever portion of their required two weeks they haven't taken (which is one reason we do keep track).

Q: This could never work in a big company - you're just a small group.
A: Tell that to Best Buy, Netflix, Google... Seriously, if you have the right systems in place for recruiting, this idea can work in any size organization.  Trusting your co-workers and employees should be something that's normal, not bizarre.

Q: How does the work get done?
A: We are very goal-oriented, so we manage our time by making sure that goals are met and our online community products are developed, not by specific hours spent.

Q: How do you find the right people to hire?
A: We put people through the wringer when we hire.  I think we brought our most recent hire in four times before making an offer.  It's very very important that our team-mates are self-motivated, passionate, and mature professionals.  We have high expectations, and each member of the staff knows that he/she is responsible for our success.

Q: Where can I read more about this?
A: One of our inspirations is the work of Jim Collins. In Built to Last and Good to Great, he lays out a lot of valuable lessons on leadership, one of which is "get the right people on the bus."  That was definitely a big influence on our thinking.  I strongly recommend both of these books to anyone in a leadership position.

I'd love to see this idea continue to spread.  If you have any questions that weren't answered here, feel free to comment or contact us.

And (to the commenter on the King-5 news story) no, I have no plans to run for Governor any time soon.