Unlimited Vacation May Prove Limiting for L.A. Times Veterans

For longtime employees of the Los Angeles Times, a new plan for unlimited vacation may end up costing them in the long run.

The newspaper will be following the new policy of its owner, Tribune Publishing Co., which will let non-union staff take time off when they want, as long as supervisors sign off and performance expectations are being met, according to a memo. It’s meant to give workers more flexibility and cut back on paperwork, the company said. The catch for Times workers with unused vacation days is the balances earned in past years will drop as they take time off starting Jan. 1. The newspaper may save money by getting around a California law that lets workers “bank” vacation days, treating them as equivalent to wages.