Paid vacation? U.S. workers have no guarantees

[eric&gen 0]

My company i been working for the past 15 years i get 4 weeks a year vacation paid plus 3 paid days off a year and paid holidays only the major holidays. If i can i try hard to bank my vacation leave so i can make it longer lol.

[MHandMB 0]

I've been with the same company for 5 years, and I only get 10 days' vacation a year, plus 6 paid holidays (memorial day, independence day, labor day, thanksgiving, and Christmas). Period. No matter how long I stay here, my vacation days will never increase, which is one of the reasons I need a new job....

I really think the US is behind on this issue, and not having more of an opportunity for vacation and time to recharge and be with family really cuts down the quality of life factor.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I only get 10 days' vacation a year, plus 6 paid holidays (memorial day, independence day, labor day, thanksgiving, and Christmas). Period.

Lemme see:

1) Memorial Day

2) Independence Day

3) Labor Day

4) Thanksgiving

5) Christmas

That's 5 holidays. I suppose that you forgot to list New Year's Day which is most likely the 6th holiday that you get to enjoy. I only point this out because it is painfully obvious that you can't keep track of the few holidays you are granted so why should you have more? Seems that you woudn't remember them anyways...

Edited May 17, 2007 by ET-US2004

[Dr. Obvious 49]

Well it stands to reason that you get rewarded for success - but I'm sceptical whether the philosophy of not granting decent benefits to lower level workers really inspires people to greater success.

Well, I know it is the number one reason why I don't feel any loyalty at all to my employer.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

If I remember rightly I get 10 paid holidays a year, as well as 10 vacation & 2 personal days.

Then again my f/t wages aren't that high - in fact my wife makes twice as much as I do. Publishing isn't a very lucrative business like that... Got to start selling some books I guess.

[Niels Bohr 72]

Well it stands to reason that you get rewarded for success - but I'm sceptical whether the philosophy of not granting decent benefits to lower level workers really inspires people to greater success.

Hmm...It depends on the person Erekese. If they aren't satified with the low level position, they probably would be motivated to pursue a certification course to get them to a higher level position. They don't need to be inspired, instead, to really look at their future living standards. Those who don't wish to pursue certificates to increase their level will just be forever be at that level. It's a matter of the job (demand), and labor (supply) at that point.

[almaty 19]

stfu, you persian shoe

[Niels Bohr 72]

stfu, you persian shoe

[Marilyn. 340]

hubby gets 10 vacation days and 3 personal days (which he now has to schedule beforehand ) and about 6 paid holiday days... (New Years, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labour Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas)

He has sick days too but those accumulate if he doesn't use them that year...

It really sucks because he took 3 weeks of back in October after our son was born and his work told him that they would pay him for only 10 sick days (I think hubby said he had about 15 or 16 sick days saved up) and he could try to get paid the rest of the days from short term disability or something like that, he tried but they said because he wasn't the one who was injured, sick whatever they couldn't pay him so hubby's HR person said she would work it out but she never did... And to top it all of his company only paid him 6 of the promised 10 sick days ...

Edited May 17, 2007 by MarilynP

[eric&gen 0]

stfu, you persian shoe

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!

[Dan J 277]

Even if vacation was guaranteed, some people would never take it. My brother works for one of the big 4 accounting firms, and everyone gets 5 weeks of paid vacation a year, but from what he told me, people don't usually use it all, because they are working hard trying to get ahead.

I only get one week of paid vacation a year, but then my boss is usually flexible of I want to take any unpaid vacation time. With the profit sharing plan, I think it more than makes up the difference.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

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.

I think that’s right – things like the minimum wage vary greatly from state to state. Ironic, given the other thread about NJ/NY having the highest levels of taxation (and the highest cost of living) that it also has a far far lower minimum wage than California.

Like it or not this is one of the things that result from a free-market economy with next to no regulatory controls. It wouldn’t kill companies to give employees a decent vacation allowance – just goes to show, the more they’re given by law – the more they take.

I agree with you on that, erekose, but then when I hear about France's problems with unemployment, some blame their high unemployment on the fact that labor has so much power with regard to the laws. For example, it's very difficult to be fired from a job. There has to be a balance of power - or at least checks and balances so that neither companies nor employees have unfair advantage when it comes to contractual relationship of employment. I know that free market capitalists will tout that a person enters into employment freely, and therefore they conclude that whatever the employer wants to do, it is up to the employee to accept the job or not. I realize the flaws in that type of thinking, but I'm trying to figure out how to keep fairness in balance.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Certainly has to be a balance – but that’s not something we can lay claim to any more than say France, Britain or Germany. What seems clear is that many large companies here frequently get away with not providing their employees with a decent salary, vacation and benefits packages across comparable jobs in different countries. In certain fields, which are generally ‘low pay’ (like publishing for instance) that’s a big problem and a person must inevitably pursue either a second job or a home business in order to stay afloat financially. That’s especially true in a city like NYC (which is the center of the book publishing industry).

France has its own (opposite) problems with crippling industrial action – though will see how that changes with a Euro-Neocon in charge… The French economy has always been socialist in flavour, as opposed to their politics which are fairly nationalistic (comparable in many respects to the US).

[Anna C. 4]

Well it stands to reason that you get rewarded for success - but I'm sceptical whether the philosophy of not granting decent benefits to lower level workers really inspires people to greater success.

Well, I know it is the number one reason why I don't feel any loyalty at all to my employer.

Absolutely. I don't have any problem to dump such an employer with a one day notice. Fortunately most jobs offer benefits in my area (harr as soon as I am there, CA I'm on my way). The place where I slaved for a month has a turnover of 30 new employees every month vs. 30 people who just leave (they do not get fired). Retail. But the worst of the worst... I rather have less money than being a slave!!!

As a student employee in Munich I had 30 days of paid vacation each year and I don't even know if there was a limit to my paid sick days. I was sick once for 3 weeks and I still got paid.