Richard Branson’s recent announcement, that he is giving his employees unlimited vacation time, really caused a stir.  It’s a move against the traditional 9-5 day – and it could make his company even more productive.

The approach is simple: get your job done, whether it takes 10 hours today and none tomorrow, and you will get the vacation time you want and need, as often as you want it.  It may seem counter intuitive to the policies of the production line Industrial Age.  It should – we are now in the Participation Age.

The Participation Age
According to Chuck Blakeman from Inc.com, this new age is results oriented and depends on workforce investment and information sharing.  Accordingly, when employees aren’t forced to “check in” their life at the office door, they control their time more wisely, share more willingly and are more invested in the company and people they work with.

Office, what Office?
In this age, results are achieved whenever and wherever you are – whether that’s at home, on-the-go or surrounded by your peers.  The decline of the traditional office – tethered to a workspace, computer and telephone – is further evidence of this new time-honoring age.  Empowering this age are technology advancements, especially in mobility.  The delivery of the tools and techniques needed for a flexible workforce are one of Site2’s strengths.

Anytime, Anywhere, Any device
Mobility doesn’t simply mean having access to email and voicemail from your mobile device.  It means being productive and efficient no matter where you call your office, with access to each and every tool needed to be so.  The solution?  A Virtual Office.

Office virtualization technologies are plentiful.  Ultimately, regardless of the tools you chose, the key to success is having access to everything you need to remain successful.  Site2 provides a comprehensive cloud computing environment designed to deliver workplace independence, whether an organization has adopted the Participation Age’s philosophies, or simply needs better workforce mobility.  Site2’s private cloud delivers desktop and server virtualization, turn-key compliance, custom application hosting, and technical expertise at each employee’s finger-tips.

Closing Thoughts
Ensuring that employees are using their vacation time isn’t always as easy as it sounds.  Some companies are motivating their employees by providing some of their compensation in the form of vacation money, and others are requiring that their remote work access be disabled while on vacation.  Regardless, companies and employee are shedding the old-style business model and investing again in humanity.

Unlimited vacation and virtual offices are good things. If this news excites you, then it’s probably worth investigating what Site2 has to offer.