The new structure undermines long-term financial planning, according to a former IPG health creative. “You don’t have a guaranteed [match] rate,” they said. “It hits at the end of the year, so you don’t get the benefit of consistent time in the market.”
“It’s a huge, huge cut,” said a former IPG employee who works in media. “It’s just so bad.”
PTO and holidays disappear
IPG’s 2024 employee handbook, reviewed by ADWEEK, shows employees across many of its agencies had unlimited paid time off (PTO). Offices were closed the week between Christmas and New Year’s, as well as during an August Appreciation Week. Staffers also got Election Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day off, plus monthly wellness days.
Omnicom’s new structure wipes much of that away. Employees now receive a set 10 to 15 vacation days, depending on tenure, with strict accrual rules and no floating holidays, no holiday closure periods beyond the actual holiday, and no wellness days. The maximum amount of annual vacation is 20 days, reserved only for those who have been at the company for more than 10 years.
A source familiar with the transition said the new holiday calendar will not take effect for IPG employees until 2026, but ADWEEK was unable to verify this with Omnicom.
The business manager estimated that former IPG employees had a total of 38 days off between holidays and wellness days. The new Omnicom package is “a 60% decrease in days off that aren’t PTO,” they said.
One detail stunned staffers the most: if an employee takes vacation the day before or after a holiday, they won’t be paid for the holiday.
“It’s probably the worst PTO package I’ve ever had,” said the media employee.
![After a year of anticipation and regulatory review, Omnicom has closed its $13.5 billion acquisition of IPG—and a lot is changing at the holdco. Led by CEO John Wren, the […]](https://static-www.adweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/adspeak-article-image-1.webp?w=640&h=360&crop=1)
Parental leave slashed from six months to 10 weeks
Under IPG, birthing parents could combine short-term disability, state family-leave programs, IPG’s Employee & Family Leave, parental leave days, and unpaid FMLA to reach as much as six months of time off post-birth. The leave could be taken in segments, allowing parents to divide caregiving time or coordinate with partners.
