Mark

Obviously you are either European with standard good vacation time or you an American who really likes to travel, therefore you make sure you get the vacation time you want with your work. I don't think the average American gets the vacation time that has been posted here today. Kudos to the travellers!!!

Charles

Americans work too much and take it too seriously. Work is meant to be an extention of your creative self. Hopefully you come to work and have some fun and contribute something to society. Taking a holiday is the time to enjoy another creative side to yourself and refresh and re-energize.

spanishlady

My husband's favorite saying: Europeans work to live and Americans live to work!

ALW

All I have to say is that most people don't exactly have a choice as to how many days/weeks we get off! Yes, all of us would love to have Sjoerd's 51 days off -- but at how many companies is that an option?! I've heard "Europeans work to live and Americans live to work!" many times before and I don't agree! We just aren't given the option of longer vacations -- even if we offer to take them unpaid.

Ess

<BR>To ALW: <BR> <BR>Hear, hear!

Deborah

ALW, <BR> <BR>I completely agree!!!

janis

Yes - Europeans get more vacation time than most Americans. But one problem I see is that you earn more the longer you are with the company. But so many people job-hop that they don't stick around long enough to earn more time off. <BR> <BR>When I started out I got 10 days a year -- 2 weeks. Now I get four full weeks each year and don't lose what I don't use. So I take between 3 and 6 weeks each year and have between 6 and 10 weeks on the books at any one time. <BR> <BR>If I had changed companies 3 or 4 times I'd still be getting 2 weeks a year.

ohoh

It really is all a matter of choices. We in the US have the option of changing career paths at many points in our lives. There is always a tradeoff. I don't know that as many opportunities are available overseas.

Gerry

Vacation rules where I work: <BR>You cannot take more than 20 days vacation at one time. If you want more than 20 days you must apply for a "leave of absence" for an emergency(which you won't get). <BR>In January you sign for you entire year's days off based on your seniority and availability. You may not add vacation time(for the entire year) after that except for a family or medical emergency. <BR>Your vacation may be cancelled by the employer at any time due to "needs of the department" or "emergency". <BR>You may not take sick leave adjacent to your vacation time. <BR>Violation of these rules results in you being considered Absent Without <BR>Official Leave. You may then be placed on probation, being given unpaid time off (time picked by the employer), becoming ineligable for transfer or promotion, or termination of employment. <BR>I've been with the same employer for 23 years and get 20 days per year vacation(the maximum). I'm too old to change careers. <BR>Do you think Europeans face the same vacation restrictions? <BR>

Susanna

11 weeks.....I'm a teacher - great hours, no money.

xx

Hi - a note for Gerry . I work in the Cdn Oil & Gas business, and there's a negotiating trick used by the long timers in the industry. I believe it's called holidays in lieu of service. I know the phrase doesn't make alot of sense, but the idea is that you bring into the negotiation the holidays you already get. If they want the experience, the employers give the holidays. This came up because people wouldn't leave their jobs which may have had 4-5 weeks holidays a year to go back to 3. <BR> <BR>Try it, it may work!

janice

I traded my last raise for more vacation. Time is something I can't buy.

Capo

I don't know if this is true for Europeans or not, but one of the first questions Americans inevitably ask each other is "What do you do?" (as in "What do you do for work?, but it's almost always phrased as simply "What do you do?") <BR> <BR>I usually answer that question with: "I do a <I>lot</I> of things: travel, play music, read, take photos, garden...and, oh yeah, work." :~)

geth

Vacation time varies widely. In my previous job, i had NO vacation or sick time. None. any day I took off was unpaid. Now I work at a University, and i START with 12 days + 4 floating vacation and 12 days vacation. <BR> <BR>At the beginning of my third year, i will accrue 18 days of each a year (plus the 4 floating that are taken christmas/newyears week) and at the start of my 5th year, i get 24 days each. <BR> <BR>I'm pretty damn happy with that arrangement, and am planning on working the rest of my life at the university .

Myriam

<BR>Gerry, <BR>Am I glad to live in Europe! And I'm quite sure that Europe doesn't face the same vacation restrictions. In the larger companies here in Belgium the trade unions are fairly powerful and a cancellation by the employer would never be accepted.

xx

xx again. The Cdn oil & gas companies are going through a period of M&A, and the US oil companies are coming in in droves. There's been alot of complaining between what the american companies are used to giving, and what the canadian employees are used to getting. The US companies ask why do we have to give so much? So far the Cdn employees are winning the battle, as one can walk across the street to another company if you don't like the adjusted benefit package. But will the employees win the war? Time will tell.

Katherine

Capo, you are so correct. I have 2 or 3 friends who were very lucky with IPOs in the last 3 years and have been able to retire. Now they are in crisis. They defined themselves by their business cards and now have no definition. I should be so lucky. I have a looooonnnngggg definition. : )

Capo

Thanks, Katherine. <BR> <BR>So, to followup, a question for Europeans (or Americans who've lived in Europe): is this "What do you do?" question as prevalent -- especially right when you first meet someone -- as it is in the U.S.?

Gerry

Unfortunately many US employers have the attitude that "the job always comes first" as though you have no other life. <BR>I'm reminded of this: <BR>A friend that I graduated from college with took a management trainee job with a major US bank in San Francisco. After 1 year he was told he would be transferred to New Mexico to train to be branch manager. The boss said "remember that at this bank your job always comes first. Remember this and you will have a good career with this bank." He replied that he felt that at this time he agreed that his job came first. But that he couldn't guarantee that he would always feel that way. Sometimes he might feel his family or other things would come first. The next day he was fired. He now teaches at a community college. <BR>Or my once roommate and best friend. He was in the last stages of being hired as a financial counselor when he voluntiered that he and his wife would probably be getting a divorce. The employer told him he could not work for that company since if he could not manage his own family how could he give others finantial advice? <BR>I could go on with other examples... <BR>Unfortunatly Capo many people have to pay a high price for a "good" job in the US.

Liam

Gerry - I would say that both of your friends are lucky they no longer work for such idiots. Thankfully, they learned what jerks their boss & potential boss were before it was too late.