Is Unlimited PTO a Scam?

“Harold” is a disillusioned quiet quitter who finds himself impassioned to act after the House passed a bipartisan bill to ban TikTok. Harold represents some of the younger 175 million Americans fighting to keep the app around, whether as a source of information, entertainment or livelihood. On the other side of the generational divide, there are those who perceive TikTok to be, at best, an app drugging America's youth, and at worst, a means of surveillance for foreign adversaries. Why can't we agree on this ban, what might it mean for our freedom of speech, and what regulatory measures can we put in place to avoid it? That’s our conversation this week.

Film, with all of its cinematic magic, was supposed to be creativity’s last line of defense against artificial intelligence. But when OpenAI’s impressive text-to-video generator Sora is taking meetings with Hollywood’s heads of production, what hope does that leave the rest of us? This week, inspired by the real story of “Lee,” a young film editor who sees his future thwarted by Sora, we discuss the impacts of AGI on creativity. Is it killing creatives’ livelihoods, or democratizing access? And will our sense of passion or purpose survive the AI takeover?

Picture this. You’re the fly on the wall in a layoff call. The employee isn’t getting any of the answers they want. The HR representative isn’t allowed to deviate from their rote, clinical script. It’s all very, very awkward. That’s this week’s topic, inspired by the mortifying tale of “Jenna” the HR newbie, and the viral video from TikToker Brittany Pietsch. In this episode, we chat about what employees deserve in this scenario, how employers can do better, and how this process is fundamentally broken.

Here’s a staggering stat: through 2045, the wealth to be inherited by Generations X-Z is estimated to be 53 trillion dollars, an unprecedented sum in modern times. In this episode we cover the story of “Rich,” a 30 year-old screenwriter who, after receiving a financial windfall left by an uncle, finds himself losing his sense of purpose and creative motivation. Rich’s example and others' have us thinking about this Great Wealth Transfer: Can you inherit financial freedom and still retain your will to work? What happens to passion, persistence, and grit when labor becomes optional?

Unlimited vacation is often lauded as a workplace perk, but who does it actually benefit? On this episode, we reflect on our previous experiences with this “generous” perk, and whether it served us. We also discuss why employers might be incentivized to adopt unlimited PTO policies—and why employees might be getting the short end of the stick.

You just found out that the new, fresh-out-of-college hire at work… makes the same salary you do. What would you do next? That’s the true story from “Lorrie” that inspired this conversation around salary transparency and fair pay. This week, we share some of our own experiences with speaking up (or not) for ourselves, ideas on what companies could do to promote salary transparency, and some tactical recommendations for next steps, if you find yourself in a similar position as Lorrie.

This week, truth is stranger than fiction. We’re discussing real anonymous stories from professional double-timers: two jobs, two time zones, and even two identities. It has us wondering: Socially, how did we get here? And legally, what are some complexities one should watch out for, if inspired to do the same?

This week, we’re inspired by the real revenge story of an electrician named Jerry. With massive government funding of new industries in clean energy and semiconductors, Jerry represents a new cohort of trade workers finding success in today’s job market, despite the social stigma surrounding blue-collar jobs. From the astronomical costs of higher education today to economic factors that create demand for skilled trades, we chat about the conditions that make this redemption arc possible—and what’s on the horizon.

So you messed up at work. How do you move forward? This week, we’re inspired by a real workplace snafu, shared with us by “Zach.” From accidental all-staffs to awkward client commentary, we share some of our own professional mistakes on this episode—and our seasoned tactics on how to move past them.

If you’ve ever wondered “What should I do if I get laid off?” or “Is it still taboo to talk about politics at work?”—this is a show for you. Welcome to The Lonely Office: a podcast about the increasingly blurry line between work and life, brought to you by Glassdoor. The stories that inspire our discussions are sourced firsthand from the anonymous conversations happening on the Glassdoor app.  It’s hosted by Matt Sunbulli (serial tech entrepreneur and co-founder of Fishbowl), Aaron Calafato (podcaster, 7 Minute Stories), and Leah Ova (content creator and advertising executive), with special appearances from industry thought leaders and experts.