Paid vacation? U.S. workers have no guarantees

[peejay 327]

Paid vacation? U.S. workers have no guarantees

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When it comes to guaranteed paid vacation, U.S. workers don't seem to get a break.

While the French get 30 days of paid leave and most other Europeans receive at least 20, the country with the world's biggest economy does not guarantee workers a single day, researchers said on Wednesday.

Most U.S. firms do in fact give employees vacations, but the lack of government guarantees means one in four private-sector workers do not get paid leave, said researchers for the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a Washington think tank.

"The United States is the only advanced economy in the world that does not guarantee its workers paid vacation days and paid holidays," said economist John Schmitt.

"Relying on businesses to voluntarily provide paid leave just hasn't worked," he added. "It's a national embarrassment that 28 million Americans don't get any paid vacation or paid holidays."

Workers in Finland had one of the best annual leave packages among developed countries, a study by the center found. Finnish workers received 30 days of paid vacation plus another nine paid holidays.

French workers were guaranteed 30 days of paid annual leave, but only one paid holiday. Most European workers were guaranteed at least 20 days of vacation, and some also received as many as 13 paid holidays.

Canadian workers were guaranteed 10 days of vacation plus another eight paid holidays, while Japanese laborers only were guaranteed 10 days of annual leave, the study found.

U.S. workers were guaranteed neither paid vacations nor paid holidays.

Despite the lack of government guarantees, 90 percent of U.S. employers offered vacation, the study found. Workers received an average of nine days of paid vacation and six paid holidays, a total of 15 days off per year.

"The sum of the average paid vacation and paid holidays provided to U.S. workers in the private sector -- 15 in total -- would not meet even the minimum required by law in 19 other rich countries," Schmitt said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070516/us_nm/usa_vacation_dc

[homesick_american 1]

I think 20 days a year would be nice, but I've never had a job in the USA where I didn't get at least 15 paid days off a year, plus all major holidays.

[Reba 2]

At my current job because I just started, I don't get any paid vacation, BUT they will let me take time off without pay. Which is a double edged sword really. After I've been there a year though I will get paid vacation, of I think 10 days. I think.

There's only a few holidays that we actually get a day off and get paid for too.

The point is I think however that there are no federally mandated vacation allowances in the US as there are in other civilized countries, plus there are fewer paid (what we call stutory in Canada) holidays. People work better if they can get a break every now and again. I dunno why the US wouldn't have this benefit.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I've been to both ends of the spectrum and anywhere in-between.

My first job in the US did not offer any vacation the first year and only 10 days the second. To get beyond that 10 days, one had to slave there for 10 years, I think it was. They also only offered 6 paid holidays. That sucked.

Now I have 20 vacation days, 10 paid holidays (most of which I can turn into floating days that I can take when I want to) and 2 personal days. All in all, I have a solid 6 weeks of vacation per year. Pretty cool.

Edited May 17, 2007 by ET-US2004

[Mags 112]

In the UK I got 33 days paid vacation and paid holidays on top of that.

Edited May 17, 2007 by mags

[milimelo 3,930]

I have 32 days of paid vacation and 16 holidays - and vacation days are rolled over to next year if you don't use them all up (you have until 31 Dec. next year to use them or they're gone).

I sure will miss this once we move to the States...

[homesick_american 1]

At my current job because I just started, I don't get any paid vacation, BUT they will let me take time off without pay. Which is a double edged sword really. After I've been there a year though I will get paid vacation, of I think 10 days. I think.

There's only a few holidays that we actually get a day off and get paid for too.

The point is I think however that there are no federally mandated vacation allowances in the US as there are in other civilized countries, plus there are fewer paid (what we call stutory in Canada) holidays. People work better if they can get a break every now and again. I dunno why the US wouldn't have this benefit.

Probably because the US is a federal republic, and that sort of thing is usually left to the states to decide, who pass that sort of decision on to the companies themselves. The USA is a nation, but it contains fifty little near-autonomous units. I suppose this may be why Americans are stereotyped as not knowing much about other countries since our own is so extremely complex.

Many things that are 'national' law in other countries are not federal (nationwide) laws in the USA, and the USA has a looooooooong tradition of fear of interference in business by the federal government. Some things like OSHA and family leave are very recent and still-controversial 'meddlings'.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I suppose this may be why Americans are stereotyped as not knowing much about other countries since our own is so extremely complex.

That, of course, assumes that Americans know a lot about their own country and all it's complexities. Which we all know not to be the case either. Try and have Americans pass the USCIS citizenship test.

That aside, some of these foreign countries you quote are federal republics as well which doesn't preclude minimum federal standards for the states to work with. Holidays, for example, are something that differ from state to state in Germany. The few US states that I've lived in thus far all observed the very same (federal) holidays. Uniform minimum standards aren't that new to the US they are just painfully few or entirely absent in the area where business interests rather than state interests are involved.

[homesick_american 1]

That, of course, assumes that Americans know a lot about their own country and all it's complexities. Which we all know not to be the case either. Try and have Americans pass the USCIS citizenship test.

I wouldn't have any trouble. I paid attention in school.

That aside, some of these foreign countries you quote are federal republics as well which doesn't preclude minimum federal standards for the states to work with. Holidays, for example, are something that differ from state to state in Germany. The few US states that I've lived in thus far all observed the very same (federal) holidays. Uniform minimum standards aren't that new to the US they are just painfully few or entirely absent in the area where business interests rather than state interests are involved.

And this takes us back to the psychotic fear of government 'interference' with business, which I already mentioned. The US is excellent at passing political hot potatos to the states, who in turn do what their constituents expect them to do which is why a lot of workplace-related legislation varies from state to state. What might fly in Mississippi may cause a strike in Michigan. Sure, it'd be nice to have uniform standards but I think we need to be realistic. Not excusing, just explaining.

[JaEnglishGirl 34]

I have 52 days holiday ....Public holidays included....will be lucky if I get half of that once I start work in the States

[Mel_and_Daniel 1]

I get 28 days paid vacation that will accumulate indefinitely if I do not take it. I am also entitled to 15days of annual special leave with pay which is approved at the discretion of the head of my dept. I am allowed 12 days annually of paid sick leave without actually seeing a doctor (taken at a maximum of two days at a time). For sick leave granted by a doctor, I am entitled to 21days with pay annually.

This means that I can actually be on paid vacation for an entire year. I've not been working for long enough to get that much but it has happened. lol

[Mel_and_Daniel 1]

I almost forgot. I get rest days and lieu-leave days off which are not recorded.

[john_and_marlene 162]

I currently get 30 days paid vacation + 14 holiday days. The paid vacation days will be increased to 33 days next year.

Marlene gets 365 days, but they aren't paid

[Kez/JWolf 6]

0 Days vacation but 6 days holidays when the stock market is closed... 0 days sick

Use to get 35 days vacation + all bank holidays and 6 months full pay sick leave and 6 months 1/2 pay sick leave when I was in the uk..

Kez

[broma25 2]

I get 10 days paid vacation, 10 paid holidays and 6 personal days and a floating day = 27 days

It's not as much as I used to get in the UK though! and I have to take some of this time if I am sick.

In the UK i got 25 vacation days, 8 bank holidays, I was also paid full pay for 6 months if I was sick.

Edited May 17, 2007 by broma25