Okay, so that's a clear rule and that's great--your workplace sounds like a place I'd like to work.

My objection isn't to systems where there is a clear, honest expectation set. My objection is to systems where people say, "We don't give much time off, but you get to work from home a lot. Oh and we won't be able to verify if you don't work the 40 hours we expect, nudge nudge wink wink."

It sounds weird, but the latter is all-too-common, especially at startups.

A little napkin math for anyone else doing comparisons:

28.9 hours * 52 weeks ~= 1500 hours

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37.5 hours * 48 weeks ~= 1800 hours

37.5 hours * 47 weeks ~= 1760 hours

37.5 hours * 46 weeks ~= 1725 hours

37.5 hours * 40 weeks ~= 1500 hours

So even if you have 4 weeks off and 10 holidays, Treehouse still expects ~225 hours less work per year, or the equivalent of having 10 weeks off and 10 holidays at a normal 9-5 job with a half hour lunch. Treehouse likely gives 2 weeks off, 10 holidays, and 52 Fridays off :)