KAM

I just started working at a college in NY state and have 4 weeks. I think it is wonderful. <BR><BR>My fiancee, however, (will be my husband in 4 days! Italy in 5!) only gets one in his first year as a mechanical engineer - so I guess I'll be convincing all my girlfriends that they need to travel with me!

maria

At Portugal we have 22 vacations days

Angela

Interesting point about the sick days. If I was to fall sick now (British Nurse), I would be paid my full wage for the first three months (at least) and after that 50% my wage.

Detroit

I get 2 weeks paid + 7 additional holidays. I work 45-50 hour weeks, with the 5-10 hours overtime unpaid. If desired I could request additional unpaid time off, though my dedication and loyalty would certainly be questioned. When I take time off, paid or unpaid, I work 60 hour weeks prior to and immediately following the vacation just to dig myself out of that hole. I think if you live to work, America is the place to be; however if you'd rather work to live, the European way seems much better. It's all about quality of life.

MKG

I agree with the last poster! <BR>I'm from Toronto & I always feel guilty when taking my 10 day paid vacation!<BR>(Not that it ever stops me, though...<BR>It seems like in this city, your life is your career & everything else has to fit in somehow...

sandi

I've been w/ my company so long I get 4 weeks paid plus holidays and 1 "floating" day per quarter. Now if I just had the money to go somewhere!

m

Per year I get 20 vacation days, 10 holidays and 3 floaters to use as I wish. I can accumulate up to 40 vacation days a year.

ukexpat

I'm a college professor, so I get the summer off, 3 weeks at Christmas, a small fall break at Thanksgiving, and a week for spring break. However, my workaholic husband only gets 3 weeks per year. So we can't really do any extended trips. Isn't that just typical.

Ninsun

John G., thanks for the chuckle incited by your description of central Texas (though in fairness it might be somewhat accurate regarding west Texas).

Karen

Naitonal holidays & Good Friday<BR>Two weeks at Christmas, one at Easter, and the month of July, but considering all the hours I usually work, it ends up amounting to about two weeks a year. I'm a Catholic school principal in the Los Angeles area earning half of what a public school principal earns without all of the support staff. No vacation time is built into my contract, but fortunately I have a GREAT pastor and I take the same time off as the teachers except for the summer. Truly envious of my step-brother who lived in France for a while - no forty-hour weeks and lots of vacation, but not as high a standard of living - cartainly a better quality of life - I'd trade anyday.

Karen

sorry - national!

Jim

24 days per year plus 12 holidays. 40 vacation days may be carried over to the next year. 15 additional sick days per year that can be accumulated indefinitely.

Dawn

I am 30 and have worked for the same university for 5 years (Yale) and I have gotten for the last 3 years: 24 vacation days, 12 sick days, 4 personal days, all major holidays and the week between christmas and new years. My husband on the other hand works for Bic (a french company...but not with their benefits and has been there the same amount of time but only gets 12 vacation days a year! We will scrape them and go to Paris for only a week in the fall (over Thanksgiving only because he will already have 3 days off and won't have any more days left!)

Mel P

I just started a new job and right now I get 12 holidays, 2 personal days and then 3 weeks of vacation spread over the next two years (which I can't start taking for my first six months so more eggectively 3 weeks over a year and a half), after I am there for two years I get 3 weeks a year for years 3-4 and then four weeks a year starting in year 5. But also, since it is a small non-profit they are quite flexible and sometimes declare days off that aren't written in the manual, like usually the whole week between Xmas and New Year's will probably be a paid week off this year (as was the case in my last two jobs where it was also not official) and they've already declared July 5 as a paid day off this year to make a four-day weekend. Forget how many sick days I'm getting, I know it's at least 12...&lt;g&gt;

xxx

After being laid off just one month shy of my 15th year to be entitled to 3 weeks (only) I am now at a lower paying job and starting at the bottom again-with only 10 days paid vacation.

xxx

Forgot to mention also am planning to enjoy the 10 days vacation. Will be using 8 days to go to Paris and Switzerland this October. Hoping everything turns out well.

Nichola

I'm a banker working in Ireland.<BR>Minimum "annual leave" for employees (and most businesses)is 4 weeks. Due to promotion and years service I get 5. We also get "bank" holidays which are like public holidays for the most part. If we're sick we get full pay, generally for 6 months then half pay for 6 months.Unused leave can be carried over to the following year.

ThisTimeAnon

As an American expatriate living in a developing country, we get 6 weeks vacation, plus two week-long national (host country) holidays.<BR><BR>PLUS AN ANNUAL 10,000 US TRAVEL ALLOWANCE.<BR><BR>I love being an expat. The travel allowance is one of the BEST fringe benefits.

KatWoman

As teachers her in the USA we receive between 60 and 80 days in the summer plus 5 days at Thanksgiving, 18 days at Christmas and 9 days during spring break. Lots of travel time! : )

Fred

I get 2 weeks, 1 week unpaid if I want it and 4 sick days.