However, there were a few points that are a little disconnected from reality, or perhaps they are not being entirely honest about the employee / employer relationship.

When I'm working for somebody I give them everything, my heart and soul. My passion. My success is the companies success.

But I think it's honest to be clear that I am giving up _time_ with my family or _time_ working on my own projects to bring home a salary. There is a big difference between my heart and soul for 20 hours a week, or 40 hours a week, or 60 hours a week. Hours do matter. Hours are my side of the bargain, and in return for hours I get paid cash.

I think its a form of dishonesty to gloss over this and wave your hands around and say hours don't matter, just come in when you want and do your best and if you perform well you won't be fired. When I hear this I think the employer doesn't expect you to have anything else in your life other than your job, and that what they really want is _all_ your hours in exchange for your salary.

I don't think that's necessarily bad, just say so and be upfront about it.

Having no holiday policy also artificially creates a grey area, or a point of conflict between an employee or employer. If I were a cynical old bastard I would suggest that the no holiday policy is actually so that holidays don't accrue from year to year. In my experience young engineers don't really take holidays and if you don't force them out of the office they end up with months and months of leave saved up.