ARTICLE · 14 JULY 2025

Unlimited Vacation: Dream Or Drama?

Spring Law

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Unlimited Vacation sounds great in theory – employees take time when they need it, the administrative burden of ‘counting days' is alleviated, the ‘use it or lose it' drama disappears...

CanadaEmployment and HR

Unlimited Vacation sounds great in theory – employees take time when they need it, the administrative burden of 'counting days' is alleviated, the 'use it or lose it' drama disappears, and employers are able to avoid the "helicopter parenting" style of monitoring an employee's vacation entitlements.

The Unlimited Vacation perk has become increasingly popular with the rise of burnout recognition, a greater understanding of the value of 'mental health days', and a less rigid take on the typical 9 to 5. It's trendy too: In 2024, 26% of tech companies offered Unlimited Vacation (versus 15% total market)¹
Before you start deleting any vacation request forms from your HR drive, consider this: in Ontario (and across Canada), Unlimited Vacation policies may create more problems than they solve, especially if they're not drafted carefully or maintained properly.

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