Because companies don’t actually give a shit about employee happiness? That’s my guess. I’m not saying this angrily, either. It’s business, all decisions are a means to an end.

I really like the idea, though. I would love to get an extra paycheck at the end of the year.

I think every company likes not having the liability of PTO hanging on the balance books, and most companies quietly enjoy the reduction in average PTO taken. For the outlier users of PTO, they'd better be firebreathers, or I suspect they are PIPed out.

BUT, we were in a somewhat competitive labor market up until very recently, and likely will be again some day. A generous PTO policy grounded in explicit policy would absolutely be something I'd weigh heavily in a competitive market for labor.

Similarly, I know people who don't take their owed vacation and build up to the "max" and wind up having to take several weeks off at a time or lose it. In a job without accrued vacation, they simply don't even earn it in the first place, and don't get paid out for it if they are let go.

Cynical me thinks this is a precursor to layoffs in order to get the debt off the books and not pay out anyone that gets "downsized" in the end.

Everyone who currently has a carryover balance is getting paid out, so I don't see how that would help costs during a layoff unless that layoff is 6+ months out.

Personally I carry a balance of close to 4 weeks (my current max accrual) as an extra cushion for job-changes or a rainy day and they will pay me out for it. I'll stick that in my emergency fund and it will serve the same function.

Layoffs could just be 6+ months out. While management is often short-sighted, I don't think we can just dismiss this possiblity.