Holiday anytime! Virgin Airlines boss, Richard Banson to scrap annual leave limit

Founder of Virgin Airlines, Sir Richard Branson, has said that his employees will soon be able to take as much holidays as they want as he is considering scrapping the firm’s annual leave limit.

In a blog post titled, “Why we’re letting Virgin staff take as much holiday as they want” he announced that his employees will be able to take as many days off a year as they like, without the need to ask for prior approval and without managers keeping track. He said the move would improve the company morale and reward employees’ efficiency.

His words: “It is left to the employee alone to decide if and when he or she feels like taking a few hours, a day, a week or a month off".

He stated that “Flexible working has revolutionised how, where and when we all do our jobs. So, if working nine to five no longer applies, then why should strict annual leave (vacation) policies?”
He said he was inspired to take the step after his daughter told him how the practice was working so well for internet streaming service, Netflix.

Totally in agreement with Netflix’s “No policy”, the Virgin boss said: “The policy-that-isn’t permits all salaried staff to take off whenever they want for as long as they want. There is no need to ask for prior approval and neither the employees themselves nor their managers are asked or expected to keep track of their days away from the office.

 “It is left to the employee alone to decide if and when he or she feels like taking a few hours, a day, a week or a month off, the assumption being that they are only going to do it when they feel a hundred per cent comfortable that they and their team are up to date on every project and that their absence will not in any way damage the business – or, for that matter, their careers!”

This is what the Netflix holiday policy says: “We should focus on what people get done, not on how many hours or days worked. Just as we don’t have a nine-to-five policy, we don’t need a vacation policy.”

Branson was earlier this week named the most admired business leader over the past five decades by a Sunday Times poll.