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How To Take A Vacation In A ROWE

Mar 14, 2011 » by Michael Reynolds

If your company has migrated to a ROWE, then you already know how life-changing it can be. You now have control over your life, you are rewarded for productivity and efficiency, and you are treated like an adult. Life is good, right?

As awesome as it is to work in a ROWE, no system is perfect and there are always some growing pains and issues to work through.

One issue that we are consistently working through at SpinWeb is vacations. In a ROWE, no one really worries about “time off” or “personal days” because we simply create those days whenever we want by working efficiently and managing time well. However, what does it look like to take a week or two for a real vacation?

At SpinWeb, we call this “going off-grid”. We don’t have any sort of set vacation policy or quota. Instead, we all have a mutual understanding that we trust each other to make a good call. If someone needs a break, they warn everyone in advance and negotiate logistics with the team. If an opportunity for travel comes up, that person makes a decision and communicates with the rest of the team to figure out the best way to handle it.

Rather than having a mindset of “I need to use my vacation days because I have a set amount”, we have a climate of trust and personal accountability. Some of us love to travel and we create vacations throughout the year. Some of us don’t travel much but go off-grid for a day or two frequently to re-charge.

The point is, everyone is different. A ROWE allows each employee to figure out what works best for him or her, and then act on it. Since we all know that our decisions affect the rest of the team, no one abuses this freedom because we care about each other and we care about how the work gets done.

It’s quite liberating to not have to count “vacation days”. How does your company handle it?

Michael Reynolds is President/CEO of SpinWeb, a professional website design, development, and online marketing firm, and a regular contributor to the ROWE Blog

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  • http://www.enlightenedinc.com Josh

    Wow Michael! That is a really liberating approach to vacations. I knew that handling vacation days was the Achilles to ROWE, but was minor compared to the benefits gained.

    What an awesome culture where nobody abuses it and isn’t defending whatever past vacation they had ‘earned’ or accrued.

    Thanks for blazing the trail to model after!

  • http://the-write-zone.blogspot.com Celise

    I so wish the company I currently work for would implement ROWE. We so need it! When I open my nonprofit, though, we’re SO going ROWE.

    • http://www.spinweb.net Michael Reynolds

      What an awesome dream to start a non-profit, Celise! And what a great environment for a ROWE :) I hope you get there very soon!

  • Mouse

    It sounds like when you go “off-grid,” your responsibilities are temporarily suspended, and you’re not expected to complete work that would otherwise have been assigned to you during that time. If some people “create vacations throughout the year” and others don’t, aren’t the heavy travelers essentially doing less work, but getting paid the same for it as someone who spends less time “off-grid”?

    • http://twitter.com/StaceyMSwanson staceyswanson

      Mouse- great question! When you go “off-grid” you make sure the work is not suspended but there is a back up in place to keep the work moving forward.  The back ups will help you because they will need you to back them up as well.

      Each person needs to decide what vacation looks like for them and how often they can take it while achieving their results.  If one person chooses to not be “off-grid” that is their choice.  If a coworker goes out of pocket excessively, they will not achieve their results or their back up person will push back on covering their work.

      Vacations definitely take place in a ROWE and work well!

  • StressedOut@Work

    Neither ROWE nor a standard vacation schedule solves that issue that if you have a lot of responsibilities, it’s extremely difficult to go on vacation because you still have to get the work done either before of after you’re vacation. For a person with children or very little for other reasons, there is a disincentive to taking a vacation, even though you know you would work better after recharging for a week.

  • Egomoscarpediem

    Jody and Cali,
    I must say, this was one of my main concerns as I read your book. I kept asking myself, what about the vacation weeks we all earn from a 40 hour work week? Where do those go? Because, I don’t think I could function if I were free to use my time as I chose but I could never “leave” for an extended time! I’m glad you directed me to this blog and I could search for the answer you have already come up with for this precise situation! Have you had any instances where employees in a ROWE went abroad for an extended time and still worked? I would love to hear about it!

    • http://twitter.com/StaceyMSwanson staceyswanson

      Great question!  I am a member of the CultureRx team and would love to
      answer your question.  In a ROWE, we see people use time where they are
      unplugged from work in a way that works best for them.  Instead of
      imposing a one way to do vacation, each person picks what works best for
      them. 

      For some people, that means identifying times when they completely
      unplug from work.  Their backup is in place to make sure organizational
      needs are met.

      For others, they make be in Europe for a longer period of time than a
      “traditional vacation”.  During this time, they may need to check
      emails, participate in conference calls, but then will see the Eiffel
      Tower at night. 

      We hear many examples where people are in Europe longer, or are at a
      cabin for 3 weeks instead of one, or who move south for the winter.  In a
      ROWE, the focus is on achieving results, not where you choose to work
      from.

      Let me know if you have any additional questions!

  • http://twitter.com/StaceyMSwanson staceyswanson

    Great question!  I am a member of the CultureRx team and would love to answer your question.  In a ROWE, we see people use time where they are unplugged from work in a way that works best for them.  Instead of imposing a one way to do vacation, each person picks what works best for them. 

    For some people, that means identifying times when they completely unplug from work.  Their backup is in place to make sure organizational needs are met.

    For others, they make be in Europe for a longer period of time than a “traditional vacation”.  During this time, they may need to check emails, participate in conference calls, but then will see the Eiffel Tower at night. 

    We hear many examples where people are in Europe longer, or are at a cabin for 3 weeks instead of one, or who move south for the winter.  In a ROWE, the focus is on achieving results, not where you choose to work from.

    Let me know if you have any additional questions!