Daphne

My husband retired in '99 after 43 years in aerospace. Because he changed companies now and then, he never got more than 10 vacation days per year! [Plus 4th of July, etc.]. But luckily, he could save up and we were able to take a few 3 or 4 week trips to Europe {or take extra time w/o pay]. Americans are such workaholics [or are we too much on the treadmill of materialism]?

Colleen

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. I am a marketing director in NY, and get 4 weeks vacation (5 weeks next year) right from the start. I also get 11 holidays, 3 floating holidays, and plenty of sick time. <BR>One of the biggest benefits of this job is travel. In the past 1.5 years I have been in this job, I have been to 10 different countries located mostly in Europe. I was in Italy and Prague two weeks ago. <BR>I'm just getting used to all this vacation time though, so I have yet to use it all.

Jeanette

I've totally changed careers three times. I've been a librarian, teacher, and psychologist at different times and also in combination. For ten years in my youth I was a buyer for a very large drug distributor and went back to school full time twice in my 40's. <BR> <BR>Right now I am an administrator for a college who wears the library and tech hat at an off campus site that is a College of Nursing and College of Criminal/ Social Justice near the students' clinical sites; so it's mostly nurses, cops and me. At this time I have about 4 weeks 2 days of paid vacation and about 2 to 2-1/2 weeks of unpaid leave around Christmas time. But I also work at least 2 nights a weeks and some weekends. The negatives are that there are many times I can not be gone during the semester, and I also can not "bunch" time and be gone for more than about 11 days. The total time off sounds really peachy, but the downside is that the salary is less than I could get in many other fields, but I love what I do here. <BR> <BR>Frank, the question you asked above is one I am always asking a lot of 50 plus year old engineers that I know. They work for GM and will not refuse any overtime. There are some who have worked 12 hours days for 13 straight days before they are required to have a 24 hour period off. Most could be retired with 3/4th of their present salary, full insurances, and all their pension privledges intact, and still they will trade in earned "off" time for more $. They are addicted to work and have made it their life's center. We see that in quite a few fields here in or near Chicago where salaries can be big carrots. With the choices these men and women have, I can't believe how many can not put the job down.

wombat

I believe you, Jeanette! Where I work the status symbol is to NOT take time off from work. Martyrdom lives in the form of "I've got so much vacation built up, I'm going to lose a lot at the end of the year." Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! <BR> <BR>I know not everyone has the money/desire for travel, but why not take off an occasional Friday when the weather is nice? To each his/her own, I guess. <BR>

L

I manage whatever needs to be accomplished for pol. appointees (Cabinet level, agency heads), and I take whatever leave I need, but do so in a way that fits whatever is going on in DC where I am. I normally have 5-6 weeks a year available. I travel a fair amount - in the past 16 months: far east, s. america, europe, bermuda, about 20 states, and a lot to FL where I have a hideout near the Gulf. I'll do Africa later this year, and vietnam next, plus a return to Buenos Aires. Then, I'll move outta DC and head south, where I'll have more time to plan for travel. Have a good day, and an interesting thread.

Anita

Hi, <BR>I, too, am a college administrator. I've been at this job for three years. As an exempt employee, I get 22 vacation days, 10 sick days. Holidays include every Friday from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the week between Christmas and New Years, Easter Thursday and Monday, plus regular national holidays. <BR> <BR>I spend two weeks in St. Maarten every year just laying on the beach, drinking, eating, and visiting with friends. <BR>

Ally

I'm a Radio/TV Production Manager. I get 28 days total. This includes sick time, Dr's. appts, vacation, whatever. <BR>I usually take 2 vacations a year for about 10-12 days each. Last year it was Maui and Costa Rica. This year however I only have 3 weeks total. <BR>My company 'docked' me the other two weeks because I took 7 weeks last year. That was due to my mother having cancer and her death in Sept. <BR>I took alot of time off taking her to Dr's, and taking care of her. I was worth it to be docked this year as I was able to help out my mom when she really needed me..but after working for the company for 12 years, I really thought they might let it slide. <BR>They showed me!

Carey

I am a pathetic Graphic Designer, so I get your basic 17 days worth of PTO, but I use it wisely, never take sick days, and basically set a vacation goal, and tried to save for it through out the year. <BR> <BR>The main thing that enables me to travel is RESEARCH! I spend the off-travel season researching the destinations I want to travel to, finding the best airfare bargains, and really research great inexpensive hotels. I am not picky about the hotel I stay in so I try to keep it under $80.00 for the two of us. I am not interested in eating at the fanciest restaurants, but rather revel in the architecture, art, and culture of a place. I love buying my meals at the market, having picnics, and just relaxing. I don't run around from town to town anymore, trying to pack the world into a trip. My philosophy is whatever I don't get to see, just gives me more reason to plan the next trip!

kalena

Interesting people! I am a legislative manager for a progressive environmental pol here in Honolulu. My husband's a lawyer mostly representing professors. I get 21 days a year. T brings his laptop wherever we are and loads ideas into his visor when carrying a laptop is not practical. Regrdless, his work is his passion, along with cycling (and me) and both will be the focus of our next vacation in France. Aahhh....18 days and counting. By the way, I envy you travel writers and graphic designers But, are there any professional food writers amongst us?

Susan

I think I'm missing something here. Many of the responses mention sick days. Do people use their sick leave as vacation days? I can't really imagine my employer going for that! Besides, if I take too many days sick, they ask for a medical certificate.

Kathy

Hi, <BR>I am a book buyer for a retailer headquartered in the united States. With 6 years of seniority, I have 3 weeks of vacation each year. My company started a couple of new policies this year: <BR> <BR>1) we can "purchase" an additional week of vacation, no matter how much vacation we already have coming to us. <BR> <BR>2) "personal time" which was used in the past for sick days & personal business, like taking care of sick children, can now be "tacked on" officially & with the blessings of the company, to our vacation time, if we so desire. We earn 9 personal days per year, and they can/do carry over indefinitely if not used. <BR>Kathy

hansman

I am an electrical engineer in the US, working for a large European semiconductors company. <BR> <BR>I get 15 vacation days per year, 10 designated holidays, 2 floating holidays and basically unlimited sick time within the limits of my short term disability policy. <BR> <BR>Every five years I get a 4 week paid sabbatical, of which i can trade up to 3 weeks (i think its 3) for cash. I earn my first sabbatical in November and I am planning on cashing in two weeks and taking 2 weeks off to go to Germany in late spring 2002 with my family. <BR>

m

I'm an office manager for a NY company which has been giving me 4 weeks vacation time since I first started here 20 years ago. You can accumulate up to 8 weeks after which you either use it or lose it. In addition I get 9 holidays plus 3 floating holidays. At one time because of my position, I also got 5 personal days (the company has since eliminated this perk.) While I cannot use sick time for vacation we get 10 days a year. There is no limit to accumulated sick leave but you can't cash it in either when you leave the company unlike vacation time. My husband works at the same company and we are lucky enough to have supervisors who let us go off on a 4 week vacation (Usually 3 weeks of travel and 1 week to get back to the rhythm and to do house chores.) We've been doing 4 week vacations for about 9 years now. When we first started travelling about 16 years ago, we would look for cheaper accomodations and airfare. (anyone remember People Express?) Now that we are much better situated, have a home, dogs, etc., we look for better accomodations - still not 5 star but minimum of 3 or maybe a 4 and we choose flights that make offer better travelling time instead of just a good price. We also do a lot of research about the places we want to see by buying books, borrowing library materials, reading Fodors, Lonely Planet, Frommers and doing a general internet search. It takes a lot of time but we always feel that we get there that we have a good handle on what to expect. So far we have not been disappointed.

bennie

Here's another attorney weighing in. I work for a major US corporation and get 20 days plus 6 personal days plus 5 holidays. Sick time is never to be used for vacation. No complaints here. My husband works for a German corp which is the exception to the rule that European corporations (even those with offices in the US) are more generous with vacation time. He only gets 2 weeks plus 5 personal days. Most of our vacation is used to cover the kids' school/daycare vacations. We use that time to explore our own city. Once a year we take a "big" vacation - Disney World etc. Can't wait for them to be out of daycare so there'll be more funds for vacations. Ireland is the first post-daycare destination.

alisa

I am a CPA working in the investments industry in the Chicagoland area and I get four weeks off vacation and unlimited sick days, but I hardly use those. Thank God. I just wish I had more vacation days. This was an important criteria for me when I was switching jobs from public accounting. Going to Thailand for 2 1/2 weeks in a month. Can't wait.

Jim

I am a police chief in a municiplaity in the suburban Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. I get 26 days annual leave, 13 days sick leave (not to be used as annual leave), plus comp time for any overtime which amounts to more vacation than I can take (or afford)in any given year. My wife works for the same city government and receives the same benefits. Travel is our way of stress management. We get away three or four times a year, mostly long weekend type of things with one two week trip in the summer. Last year it was to Alaska which was a wonderful experience.

Eleanor

Susan, I think that the reason people mention sick leave is that in many companies, you are expected to extend sick leave by using vacation time. This has always been the case w/ my employers. I've always had jobs where days were earned continuously, and where carry-over is not only allowed but encouraged; the expectation is that you should save it in case of family emergency. Using up all of one's annual leave is severely frowned upon, unless it's for something like a maternity leave. BTW, I get 20 days annual, 10 days sick, 11 company-wide holidays; I work in IT.

Patrick

I'm the guy with 37 days plus leave from earlier on in the thread . Some of your comments made me break down this years (Sept 00/Sept 01) holidays and flight only costs as follows <BR> <BR>European Long Weekends <BR> <BR>Rome (once) - $75 - Go <BR>Dublin (five times - $50 - Ryanair) <BR>Glasgow (once) - $50 - Go <BR>Madird (once) Free - compensation for bumping -Virign to use BMI <BR>Prague (once ) $100 - Go <BR>Ancona (once $70) - Ryanair <BR> <BR>No/very little leave taken for these (Sat to Mon or Thursday to Monday) <BR> <BR>North American travel <BR> <BR>Chicago (weekend trip $350 - flight oversold, compensation from BA $400, net gain $50 upgrade to club for rtn journey) <BR> <BR>Los Angeles (two weeks - free BA compensation for safety complaint last year) <BR> <BR>Sydney, Cairns,Melbourne (three weeks $500 Alitalia/Ansett via London consolidator.) <BR> <BR>I try to stick to less than $1000 per yaer which I have just about done. i cycle to work which saves me at least this much money every year and this is how I justify my travel spending!

John

I develop and manage housing for homeless families in the Seattle area for 4 days a week; it would be called “social housing” in most of Europe. I also work 1 or 2 days a week as a consultant to not-for-profit and government entities in the fields of housing and community development. My wife is self-employed as a financial advisor to not-for-profit and government agencies (how much to borrow, how to do it, etc.) I get 20 days (pro-rated to 16) for my “4-day” job, zilch for the consulting; she gets as much or as little as she can manage. At present I believe her “comp time” balance is somewhere in the vicinity of 20 years. We grab a few three-day weekends when we can, or sometimes travel for 4 or 5 days to California or the east coast in conjunction with business or family occasions (weddings, the like.) Haven’t taken a big trip in over 2 years (4-month sabbatical without pay then – still paying off Mr. Visa), although hoping to get a month this winter/summer for the Cook Islands and NZ redux. We also thought we would be attending a friend’s daughter’s wedding in Edinburgh this summer but no invitation yet. Something wrong, children? <BR> <BR>PS When we're gone we have some biker friends stay at the house. They're messy but vigilant.

David N Cook

I am sales mgr for a fresh fruit & veg grower in Calif; have worked here almost 20 yrs. I am allowed 3 weeks off per year(4 starting next year) but have only taken 2 most years. Took 4 to go to Europe (asked for and received permission)in '98 but that was the exception. Many years had only enough $$$ for 2 weeks; lately with kids growing up its hard to take much time together with everyone on a different schedule. Going to Costa Rica in Aug for 2+ weeks; would have picked a different time but this works for everyone...