Half Dome introduces unlimited paid annual leave in industry first

Independent media agency Half Dome has introduced an annual experiment that will allow its team to take unlimited paid annual leave.

The 'Unlimited Leave' experiment allows the Half Dome team to take however much paid leave they need to balance work and life throughout the year. Half Dome's people have contributed to the rollout of this initiative and the guidelines for success, so all can collectively contribute to a positive outcome.

Half Dome head of people & culture, Lisa Lie, said, "Flexibility practices are a key differentiator of workplace cultures and reflect the level of trust a business has in its people. Understanding that autonomy and choice are major intrinsic motivators for people. We want to reward our people for their efforts with benefits they genuinely value. Our industry sometimes asks a lot of people, and we want to ensure we can offset peak periods with the right amount of time to recharge and reset.

"We know when people have greater autonomy over how they work, they're happier. This means they're more engaged in their work, more committed and more effective. Half Dome truly embraces a trusting and flexible working environment, and our trial of Unlimited Leave is an evolution of this. Just as we don't have a 9-5 office policy, we're experimenting with not having a capped leave policy," she said.

"Our people will be able to choose the amount of leave they take and when they need it. This initiative demonstrates our team's commitment to trust-based working and wellbeing."

Half Dome has introduced the experiment so its people feel genuine control and freedom to benefit from increased energy, focus on their wellbeing, and be more engaged and effective in their roles.

Half Dome managing director, Tom Frazer, said, "Our clients continually praise our team's attitude, approach, and commitment to their work. They say it's what sets us apart. We believe how our culture has been built has contributed to this outcome. The Unlimited Leave initiative is designed to support further the team's engagement and effectiveness when they're at work."

The Unlimited Leave experiment launches on 1 July. It will be in place for 12 months as an experiment to see how Half Dome's people embrace it, at which point the policy will be reviewed and, if deemed successful, extended beyond its trial period.

Earlier this year, the agency also introduced the option for its people to switch all existing public holidays to another day of cultural significance, celebration, or recognition.

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Top image: Lisa Lie