Want more time off? Some employers let you buy it

Want more time off work to hang out at the beach? Need some cash and have vacation days to spare?

Some companies allow their workers to buy and sell vacation time. It’s a perk that gives workers more flexibility in managing their time off.

This approach might help employees buy some extra days off for the trip of a lifetime or spending more time with a newborn. Co-workers could sell unused days for extra money.

A soon-to-be released survey by the Society for Human Resource Management finds that 9 percent of employers let workers cash out unused vacation time.

Five percent let employees buy additional vacation days through a payroll deduction, and 7 percent allowed employees to donate vacation time to a pool that can be used by other workers.