The boss who doesn’t believe in work-life balance

‘Warrior spirit’

It is challenging, says C.K. Lin, VideoAmp’s head of culture, to work within a culture that does not regard work-life balance as a priority. He prefers to focus on work-life equilibrium where workers are “so comfortable with their core values and goals” that they can manage their work and home lives.

At job interviews, it is made clear to future employees that the company may not be a natural home for everyone. People who are sensitive, easily hurt by “constructive criticism,” interested in office politics or inclined to try to “outshine their colleagues,” would not be a good fit, he says.

 “The type of quality I look for amongst all of the candidates… is warrior spirit,” he says. “We are a tribe and a tribe of people who want to build this company. There needs to be a level of warrior spirit before we let them join our tribe.”

Unlimited holidays?

Under US law, employers are not required to offer paid holiday time. VideoAmp does not have a holiday policy – employees are free to take as much time as they need, with full pay.

‘Unlimited’ holiday policies have become popular with many tech firms in the past few years, but it’s not common for workers under these schemes to take months off each year.

At VideoAmp, some people take up to six weeks, others rarely leave their desks. Michael Allman, a data engineer who enjoys overseas travel, says the policy does not mean he can take half the year off. “It means you talk to your supervisor, you have to be responsible about making sure that you’re getting your projects done, you’re collaborating with your team mates and you’re not unavailable too much,” he says.

Sonya Apreleva, a senior data scientist, says she does look at her work email while on holiday, to check on a job or fix a problem. But, she says: “That’s part of life.”