Mika

We are self employed and have 6-8 weeks free. But we work every second saturday. My brother is a teacher and has at least 12 weeks, if not more.(Europe).

Capo

When I started my job thirteen years ago, I had the fairly typical ten days of vacation. Now I'm up to fifteen. Still not enough, but I'll take it.

Jean Valjean

31 days paid vacation (of which 7 are "mandatory" during Easter and between Christmas and New Year's). 6 "whatever-you-want-to-use-them-for" days, 7 official holidays. <BR> <BR>Now I just need the time to use them...

mary

country-usa <BR>occupation-nurse in outpatient setting <BR>6 months=1 week <BR>1 year=2 weeks <BR>5 years=3 weeks <BR>add 1 day for every year after 5 <BR> must use in that year <BR>the usual us holidays -plus day after turkey day and christmas/newyear's eve <BR>1 personal day-must use in that year <BR>fri/sat/sun-off <BR>accrue 8 hours of sick pay every month and i rarely call off so i might fudge with that to take an extra day off on a long weekend. <BR>hubby gets 2 weeks yearly until 5 years when he will get 3 weeks-but he works mon-fri. boohoo

geiffel

Family Nurse Practitioner at one of the top 4 hospitals in the USA. Have been here 11 years. Get 35 days per year, plus 6 education days, and 6 holidays. But don't forget I still have to work some holidays, and weekends.

Kavey

Anon <BR> <BR>You misunderstand me. <BR> <BR>I am quite happy to pay the slightly higher tax I pay as a European (compared with Americans) as I do percieve many benefits... <BR> <BR>I was trying to point out that in a thread like this when only annual leave is discussed - it is easy to envy someone else their high leave but would the person who wants that fantastic leave also want to pay the higher taxes in Sjoerd's country as well? I just meant to point out that the amount of leave one gets doesnt stand alone from the cultural and working practices of that country and the tax rules, labour laws etc... <BR> <BR>Wasnt intending any offence, just trying to point that out... <BR> <BR>I am quite happy to benefit from the 5 weeks I get in the UK compared with my relatives in the US who get less, but then they get taxed less and paid more too... I would rather have less salary, pay more tax, and have the leave (and other benefits) that I do. <BR> <BR>Its just my preference though... <BR> <BR>PS I am in UK

Ursula

Right now, for me it's 4 weeks. However, we make "the bridge" over Christmas and New Year. This year, it's not bad at all: We'll be off from Sat, Dec. 22 and we'll not go back to work until Jan. 3, 2002. <BR> <BR>But still, 4 weeks is not that terrible, if you plan a longer trip to the States or Asia. For those trips, I like to take at least 3 weeks. So what's left. 1 week for skiing or a couple of longer weekends in a European city. <BR> <BR>After the age of 50 = 5 weeks, after 60 = 6 weeks. <BR>That's about the norm in Switzerland.

Miriam

Hello Mark, <BR> <BR>I get 7 weeks paid vacation plus 11 days(paid) holidays. There is not a thing like "sick days" in Germany. If you are sick, you are sick and your employer and the health insurance pay for your normal salary, no matter how long it takes. <BR> <BR>Miriam

david west

I'm a government employee in London. <BR> <BR>I get 30 days (higher than normal, five were "earned" by seniority) plus public holidays (8) plus two "priviledge days" which are extra days at Christmas and Easter (I have no idea why)plus the Queen's (official) birthday. <BR> <BR>But another big difference is that my working week is 35 hours and any extra time I work over that I can have as "TOIL" (time off in lieu). Thus it is perfectly possible to accrue quite a bit of extra holiday by putting the hours in. <BR> <BR>I personally like the idea of a basket of benefits that one could take accordinmg to one's priorities eg "buying" holiday or health insurance etc. I don't have anything approaching that system.

Sjoerd

Let me clarify. I work for a bank in the Netherlands. We have an "a la carte" system where the employee can basically choose how many vacation days he gets. Minimum is 25 days per year + 8 national holidays. Maximum is what I have chosen: 51 days + 8 national holidays which also means I have about 12% less in gross salary which translates in only 7% less in net salary. (marginal tax rate on higher incomes is 52%) We are a "double income no kids" household so time is much more important to us than (more) money. <BR>We don't have "sick days": when I am sick, I am sick and get fully paid. In the Netherlands, we also have the system of "vacation money" which is an extra month salary in the month of May. Finally, I can save for a once-in-every-5-years sabbatical which is 3 months off.

natalie

Hubby gets 10 weeks of vacation plus occasional holidays. Normal work week is 70 plus hours and 1 out of 3-4 weekends. In the US.

StCirq

I run a small business (in the USA) and work full-time if you mean 55-hour weeks when I'm in the USA and 20-hour weeks when I'm not. I give myself a month in the summer for a vacation with the rest of the family, two weeks in spring to go to France on business and pleasure, and some years I take more for a week at the beach or a trip to visit relatives or a "special opccasion" trip. Most years, I end up being "out of town" for a total of about 3 months. But for anything longer than about 3 days I've got my laptop with me and am paying someone extra to help out in my office. It's very rare that I can just go away without a care in the world. But I made that choice 25 years ago, when I figured out that my need to travel and employers' willingness to dole out vacation favors just weren't going to mesh.

Liam

National Geographic Traveler (the one w. Mallorca on cover) has a graphic depicting "typical" vaction time around the world. US was (not surprisingly) last on the list with 13 days. Italy was #1 (48, I believe). <BR> <BR>Also, Anna Quindlen has an article in this week's Newsweek about our vacationing president and the lack of vacation time in the US. If "W" can take off so much time, why doesn't he do something to share the wealth?!

Celeste

I work for the Federal Government and get 5 weeks of annual leave, two and a half weeks sick leave, three weeks military leave (I'm a Reservist), and 10 paid holidays.

John G.

So you mention Bush Jr. and his month long vacation. What a place he's chosen to be for a month! Dry and hot in the summer, cold and bleak in the winter. There is little respite from the elements for those creatures attempting to survive in this desolate place, very few hiding places and even fewer sources of water and sustenance. The wind howls hot and dry this time of year across the vast prairie, with precious little cover to shield one from the onslaught. It is a place of cactus, thorn-covered mesquite and scrub, with a coating of locusts. And out there in the middle of this place called "Central Texas" on a map, sits the leader of the free world for a month. <BR> <BR> Our fearless leader has now sequestered himself out on his lonesome patch of prairie, far from the multitudes of constituents whom he ostensibly serves. For me, this scene is the epitome of this court-appointed administration. There is Dubya, the Boy King, relaxing at his summer estate, lazily whiling away the hours in air conditioned comfort. The man is so far removed from the reality of day to day life in the U.S. while there that he might as well be in a different country. And for all intents and purposes, he is. For it is a vast emptiness of space, both physical and spiritual, which can oppress even the most stolid of men. <BR> <BR> The place is a metaphor of Bush. Removed from the world, his 'decisions' are based upon the echo chamber that is filled only with the voices that reach him in the desert of his existence. Only the thoughts of his closest advisors and contacts from the narrow business interests arrive to him from across the vast, empty expanse. No other sounds or ideas from outside the cocoon of his reality resonant within him. Between him and the common people of this nation lies a gulf larger than any desert in the world, an empty prairie where few people are allowed to enter. If one wishes to understand this man, one need only look at this place to which he has retreated. <BR>

Lizzie

I work for a magazine in NYC - vacation time: two weeks (will be three in January, after three years with the company) plus two personal days and a few holidays: Christmas Eve and Christmas, Thanksgiving, Memorial and Labor Days, a floater for the 4th. As many sick days as we need, so far as I know. My manager is VERY flexible, though, and I've been lucky so far. Hoping to quit sometime early in Jan. 2002 to devote myself full time to a catalogue/website business I just launched with a partner and am really, really looking forward to having my time be my own. I don't anticipate being able to travel a lot more, and I'll probably have to work harder than I do now, but I will enjoy being able to take off when I want to within reason.

ttt

ttt

sickofwork

Yikes!<BR><BR>Maybe I'd better rethink my career choice.<BR><BR>I work in the Financial Services industry as a Financial Advisor, and basically get NO time off. <BR><BR>I have been doing this for 4 years now, and the 1st 2 years worked Thanksgiving and Christmas. The first 3 years I worked 7 days a week, 70-75 hours a week, and took no vacation.<BR><BR>My first "vacation" was 3 business days off over a long weekend where my husband and I went to Paris for 6 days.<BR><BR>Basically, if I don't work I don't eat, and if I'm not there, there's no one to take care of my clients. So, I'm there when I'm sick and when I'm well, and really can't take vacation. Everyone thinks brokers make alot of $, so it's worth it, but that's so not true!<BR><BR>Anyone with any ideas on jobs in the Financial Industry with good benefits and time off - let me know!!!! I miss my 4 weeks vacation I had at my last job!<BR><BR>

RN

As a registered nurse in northern NJ, USA, I have 20 days paid vacation, 4 personal days, 8 paid holidays, 12 sick days..just some of the benefits of working for a hospital-based home health agency. No weekends, no holidays, 9 am to 5 pm. I paid my dues early in my career, and hope to never return to rotating shifts, every other weekend on duty, working on Christmas, and the awful stress that profiteering insurance companies (and hospitals!) place on valuable nurses...

canada chick

I work a 4 on, 4 off rotation with 16 days off a year, so when you factor in the 4 days off at the beginning and the end of your requested days off, it adds up to 8 weeks a year. Not normal for most people in Canada.