Silicon Valley is at it again, folks. Bolt, the tech startup that once championed progressive workplace policies, has just dropped its unlimited paid time off (PTO) plan faster than a startup’s valuation in a market downturn.

CEO Ryan Breslow, known for his bold moves and even bolder statements, is ditching the so-called “flexible vacation” policy that promised worker freedom but delivered anything but. In a spicy LinkedIn post, Breslow called out the fundamental brokenness of unlimited PTO: “When time off is undefined, the good ones don’t take PTO. The bad ones take too much”.

The Unlimited PTO Illusion

Contrary to the utopian dream of work-life balance, research shows that unlimited PTO is basically a corporate magic trick. Studies reveal workers with these policies take barely two more days off than traditional vacation plan employees. Talk about a whole lot of nothing.

A New Hope for Workplace Sanity

Bolt’s solution? A mandated four-week vacation policy. Every. Single. Employee. Must. Take. Their. Time. Off. No exceptions. Breslow isn’t just suggesting time off; he’s practically ordering employees to touch grass and touch it hard.

The Bigger Picture

This isn’t just about one startup’s policy shift. It’s a mic drop moment in the ongoing conversation about worker burnout, productivity, and what “flexibility” really means in tech. Breslow is calling out an industry-wide problem: a culture that glorifies overwork and disguises it as “unlimited freedom”.

So here’s to Bolt for cutting through the BS and giving workers a real chance to recharge. Sometimes, boundaries are the ultimate form of employee care.