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-   -   How much vacation time do you get? (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/how-much-vacation-time-do-you-get-616527/)

hs26 May 18th, 2006 07:05 AM

I get 22 days inclusive for vacation, personal and sick. I work for a small to medium size company in NYC and have been here for 9 years.
It's been very hard getting by with this amount of vacation as I have a daughter and schools give plenty of vacation time!
IMO, American employers will never give more time off. They are always complaining about rising costs and losing competitive edge, etc. And what's the solution for rising costs in America - more layoffs! Workers have no power anymore, everything is pro business.

LowCountryIslander May 18th, 2006 07:07 AM

I work for a local government in the US and have been with them for 7 years so I have worked up to accrueing 15 days of vacation per year, when I started I received 12 days per year after 5 years, 10 years, 15 years and 20 years the number of days increase at each milestone.

For vaction and sick time accruals we go by the calendar year and can rollover up to 30 days of vacation at the end of the year anything over 30 days is lost and there is no cap on the amount of sick time we can rollover. Right now I have 28 vacation days and will be taking 20 of them in September to go to Central Europe...YIPEE! ;)

We also get 2 "Floating" personal holidays we can take for any reason during the calendar year and we get 8 paid holidays each year.

Some years I don't take all the vacation days I have available and then I have a nice chunk of time to take a long trip every couple years.

GeorgeW May 18th, 2006 07:07 AM

I'm a minority owner of my firm and get three weeks vacation. I usually pick my vacation spots so that I won't be missed too terribly.

AngelaS May 18th, 2006 07:11 AM

tkw - Good point, and personally, that is what I think is a problem in the US - people not taking enough time for themselves & their families. Work seems to always be number one priority, and while it is important, family & rest is even more important.

HS - it is true, we are at the mercy of the employers. I get frustrated b/c all of my coworkers do not travel abroad - for them 5 days off is a lot! While I'm accustomed to 1-2 month vacations. I knew the vacation sucked at my company, but I took this job for the experience. I am hoping to own my own business some day which will give me more flexibility. The last compnay I worked for, everyone started out with 4 weeks - unheard of in the US! I miss it!!

cantstayhome May 18th, 2006 07:11 AM

StCirq - I hear you on being plugged in, but I'd rather be plugged in somewhere fun than at the office anyday!

Maria_H May 18th, 2006 07:20 AM

I'm in the UK and get 25 days, 3 of which need to be saved for between Christmas and New Year - plus of course the usual bank holidays. The maximum that can be saved until the next year is 5 days - and these then need to be taken before May, or lost.

If I'm genuinely ill I stay off work with full pay - I hate people who insist on coming in with the flu and infecting everyone else. There is statutary leave for maternity, paternity, etc. Other "personal" leave for bereavement, etc, is at the discression of the management.

I couldn't survive on 2 weeks leave!

tcreath May 18th, 2006 07:26 AM

I will admit that I am very lucky when it comes to the vacation time department. I have been working here for about three and a half years, and right now I get 6 weeks of paid vacation every year plus every other Friday off. Unfortunately DH gets about half this, although the company he works for is currently reviewing their vacation policy so that could (hopefully) change.

Tracy

flygirl May 18th, 2006 07:27 AM

This year I have 28 days! woohooo!

annikany May 18th, 2006 07:49 AM

After 15 years with my employer I am maxed out at 25 days vacation. In addition to that I get 3 floating holidays, 6 personal days and 6 sick days. I feel extremely fortunate to get this as many Americans are getting just 1 week a year vacation.

Statia May 18th, 2006 07:57 AM

Three weeks per year paid, and therafter as much time as I want unpaid.

RufusTFirefly May 18th, 2006 08:31 AM

I get 26 workdays of paid vacation time a year (plus a couple of hours). That comes to 5 or 6 weeks a year depending on how you combine that time with the 11 annual paid holidays. Also get about 14 paid sick days a year.

We can also work extra hours for compensatory time off whenever we want if there is plenty of work to do. So if it's a rainy day and not much happening at home, and I've got some task that I can finish up or get a head start on, I'll work an extra hour or two. Then can use those hours for unexpected leave needs.

Leave was an important consideration for me when I was comparing job offers.

katzen May 18th, 2006 08:45 AM

3 weeks paid vacation, 9 sick/personal days paid, and all the 'bank' holidays.

LeeParis May 18th, 2006 08:58 AM

I am in the US and get 5 weeks (25 days) paid vacation. That is because I worked at my company for 25 years. 5 weeks is the maximum. I can carry over 5 days to the next year. Rules are: 2 wks to start, 3 wks at 7 years, 4 wks at 17 years, and 5 at 25 years. Those are more liberal than when I started. I had to wait until 10 years to get 3 weeks...a LONG time!

We get now get 11 paid holidays which is more than when I started.

One downside is that the company began a policy of doing a "shutdown" the first week of August. They did it first in 2005 and will continue with the policy. I hate it because I don't normally travel during August but I'm stuck using 5 vacation days anyway. When I can, I like to fold in a holiday (usually Memorial Day) into my trips so I can squeeze out one more vacation day!

Doing it again this year...leaving for Europe on May 24th. Hurray!

LeeParis

blueruck May 18th, 2006 09:13 AM

With a US company for 10 years - I get 4 weeks of vacation, 6 optional holidays and 6 national holidays.

This year I have worked New years day - flying to a customer location and I will work Memorial day flying to cross country - I get to make up these days later in the year.

GalavantingReprobate May 18th, 2006 09:15 AM

<< If other first world countries (ex: in Europe) are able to remain productive & competitive, have continued growth, and allow their employees a good amount of time off, why don't American companies do this? I really do not understand it!! >>

Productive? Competetive? Growth? Surely you jest.
Most Euro economies are much less productive than the US economy. Growth is nearly nil (Germany - .8% last year) and even negative (Italy) for some countries.
Vacation policy in the US is not a govt mandated thing. It is left to individual companies and unions and even the individual worker what kind of deal we get. There are places that give 2 weeks. Others 6 or more. People use vacation needs as a bargaining chip, much like other benefits.
I know some people who never take vacation time as a matter of choice. I know others who barely work at all.
Teachers in the US get 3 months off.
All in all, I prefer our more individualized system than a one-size-fits-all approach that the euro welfare states mandate.

AnthonyGA May 18th, 2006 09:19 AM

The notion that long vacations hurt the economy is baseless. Short or nonexistent vacations seriously harm the health of the workforce and contribution to losses in productivity and higher health care costs, among other things.

Besides, if you have to spend your entire life working, what difference does the state of the economy make?

Chicago_Heather May 18th, 2006 09:20 AM

Angela, I'm right there with you. The company gives us PTO (Paid Time Off) days. For the first 5 years, employees receive 18 total days off - be it for illness, funerals, vacation, etc. I'll have be in dire straits before surrenduring a potential day in Europe to a day home in bed. Tulips is so right ... everyone comes in sick and it just cycles around the office.

By the way, I really hope that you feel better soon and am sorry you lost a day off.

Chicago_Heather May 18th, 2006 09:27 AM

"Besides, if you have to spend your entire life working, what difference does the state of the economy make?"

Anthony, Amen.

mv_rd May 18th, 2006 09:31 AM

When I worked, I had 10 days paid vacation and 5 days for "sick days" although they can be used for whatever we wanted. We also had all national holidays off, paid. We did have to work Xmas and New Year's eve but only for half a day and got paid for 8 hrs.

After 5 yrs, you got an addtional 5 days off. In addition, you could get unpaid time off except during the holidays.

I no longer work there and I'm now a student (again) so I have the summer, winter, and spring break off. I'm enjoying my current schedule :)

FainaAgain May 18th, 2006 09:33 AM

I get 4 weeks vacation after 5 years with the firm. Don't use it all - don't want just to stay at home, so get some paid off - more money for vacation :)

We can't carry over more then 30 vacation days, get auto-paid-out.

As for the sick days, they are separate from vacation, unfortunately, not even sure how many, I try to use them here and there - for appointments, catch up on sleep, etc...

I would be much happier with "paid time off", but... don't make the rules.

(San Francisco, US, private firm)


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