I think it's a bad idea. If it's a mandatory break, how is that different from a one week layoff? If the state allows it I would try to collect unemployement for that week.

I think Yahoo should call the "time off" what it is - a forced shutdown. Why try to sugar coat the truth? It sounds disengenous - and who would want to work for a company that isn't transparent - at least with their employees? I would not be happy -I would want to use the vacation I earned when I wanted to. Like the article said - if the financial impact is minimal - why do it? Ahhh, that's right - so their employees can recharge their batteries - so benevolent of them.

I think a lot of employees at Yahoo! will start updating their resumes. Yahoo! should have tried to save money in different ways and that shouldn't be by trying to kill the goose who lays the golden eggs. This way they are hurting all their employees the same way, rather than just getting rid of the fat or is this a precursor of doing just that?

This is terrible. If Yahoo! is trying to attract talent away from their competitors (Google and MSFT specifically), this is not the way to do it. I would be disappointed if the market didn't react poorly to this "innovative" cost saving measure.

Is anyone productive during that period of time? The staff that have not taken vacation are probably taking long lunches and wandering the halls looking for someone to talk to. Couple of days forced vacation when Yahoo is fighting for it's existance, not that big of a deal.

"those who have the vacation time accrued will automatically have it docked from Dec. 26 through Dec. 29. Those who don't are permitted to borrow future vacation days."
" How would you feel about getting unpaid vacation time during the last week of December?"

You have completely misrepresented what is happening. It is not unpaid vacation. It does not save Yahoo much money. It forces everyone to do something else for 4 days.

What babies! I work for the IT arm of a large aerospace company, and we have to shut down those days because our local worksite does. We have the same rule - use vacation, borrow some,or no pay. And to "sweeten" it, if you planned on those days off, you may then be called in for a year-end hot assignment at the last moment- when you didn't plan for it! This has been done for a few years and people don't quit for it, we just "suck it up" - its the new age of internal IT staff. Yahoo folks have to learn that the days of "me me me!" are ending. The business is changing, now get back to work!

I really don't understand the reasoning behind the "time off" to begin with-- I don't even really see how it's that beneficial to Yahoo. I wonder if any Yahoo employees will have the energy to file a lawsuit.

I'm also curious as to how much paid vacation yahoo employees get-- that could sway my opinion either way.