We are used to the law, institutions (school, companies, etc) or other people determining when, why and how often we should deal with our (free) time. We believe that time is changing and that it is outdated and too limited to look at free time -and 'time' in general- that way. We find it much more important that you take responsibility for your own time. That you can feel and estimate how much time you need to find a good balance between work and non-work.

We would also like to highlight the following:

• A holiday is normally up to a maximum period of 3 weeks. Do you want to take leave for longer than 3 weeks consecutively? If so, always discuss this with your manager as well as with team People & Culture and Team Operations. Only after approval from both can you officially book your holiday.
• From experience we know that Q4 is really the busiest period for agencies, so also for team5pm. Take this into account when planning your vacations. This does not mean that you cannot or should not take vacations in this period, but that - if possible - it is preferable to plan longer vacations in another period. If you do wish to take a longer vacation in this period, that you coordinate this vacation well in advance with your manager and your team.
• Also important:
  • Are you unsure what a reasonable range is in terms of the number of vacation days per year? Keep in mind that 4 to 6 weeks per year is a realistic figure. Less than that is not ok. More than that may occur, please discuss if you are in doubt about what is reasonable. That's why in Grip from 2022 we have increased the standard from 25 to 30 days of vacation.
  • Make sure that if you take leave you coordinate it carefully with your team and your manager. We think it's important that it's okay for everyone to miss you for a while.
  • Flexibility works both ways. So also from the side of team5pm! Talk to us - your manager, P&C, your team - if you feel that the balance is getting lost, and talk to each other about where things are going wrong. Communication is everything.
  • About that communication; important that you communicate transparently and clearly about when you are not there. So, agreement with the team about the dates, mentioning them in your mail and calendar, informing the clients and transferring work if necessary.
  • If you feel the urge not to work for a long period (e.g. more than three weeks), discuss it with your manager first.
  • We want you to use your time wisely, because if you divide it well, you can focus and perform well at work, and feel energetic enough to enjoy all the good things in life.