Vacation

Fat Abe · 07-03-2015, 02:53 PM

According to Time magazine, the USA is one of the few nations in the world where vacation is not required by law for those who work for a full-time wage or salary. This does not mean we get no vacation, just that it is a benefit voluntarily provided by an employer.

Today, the greatest fear in the U.S. workplace is not sexual or racial discrimination. The biggest worry is being left behind, discarded due to financial considerations, mostly in the name of "efficiency." People who do not feel "valued" take a defensive stance. They do not use all the vacation days allocated to them.

http://time.com/3656850/americans-vacation-2014/

What is your excuse, assuming you are part of the group of employees who do not partake of vacation?

Big business crossed a boundary in the early 2000's with a concept known as Paid-Time-Off (PTO). This lumps together vacation and sick days. The squirrels among us always prepare for a time of drought, even in times of plenty. This is one of my excuses for eschewing vacation. The second reason is that I do not trust in the abilities of my coworkers. The editing room is filled with incompetent people who would mangle the front page. Their handiwork could cost the business its income, as well as sink the entire establishment. A good job is not a universal right, it is a hard fought reward for years of slavery. Finally, the post 9/11 world has change everyone's perception of the safety of the world. Why travel anywhere that could be the locale of a terrorist attack? Hawaii is safe enough and a paradise- who needs to visit Bora Bora? Anyway, I can't write while on the road. Vegas is an alternative, just for the experience.

FizzyWater · 07-03-2015, 04:45 PM

At the risk of sounding like a heartless bitch, one of the reasons I've lost vacation in the last 8 years is because I have a job that is backed up by one co-worker. And in the last 8 years, each of the two people who have held that position seem to always take FMLA time off just when I've had time scheduled off.

I'm not a big fan of hot weather, so I tend to schedule most of my time before May and after September. I don't know what it is about that position that keeps attracting applicants with health issues.

Bilbo1967 · 07-03-2015, 04:51 PM

I've heard tales of American workers getting little holiday. What is a "normal" amount of holiday for a job in the US?

FizzyWater · 07-03-2015, 05:11 PM

Depends on the job. There are lots of jobs that don't have paid time off, other than government, and sometimes Christian religious, holidays.

Blue-collar jobs tend to get less, unless they're unionized or in a shop worried about being unionized.

When I started working in an office (1985), it was common to get 2 weeks vacation for the first 5 years (adding 2 more with additional time up to 20 years) for general operational type jobs (more for execs of course). Now, people in the same job I had all that time ago are getting 4 weeks when they walk in the door. But I've only ever worked full time in one industry, so I can only speak for what I know about my companies or my friends who talk/complain about theirs.

Bilbo1967 · 07-03-2015, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

Depends on the job. There are lots of jobs that don't have paid time off, other than government, and sometimes Christian religious, holidays.

Blue-collar jobs tend to get less, unless they're unionized or in a shop worried about being unionized.

When I started working in an office (1985), it was common to get 2 weeks vacation for the first 5 years (adding 2 more with additional time up to 20 years) for general operational type jobs (more for execs of course). Now, people in the same job I had all that time ago are getting 4 weeks when they walk in the door. But I've only ever worked full time in one industry, so I can only speak for what I know about my companies or my friends who talk/complain about theirs.

Thanks.

I've never had a job that started with less than 25 days holiday (not including statutory holidays). My first job gave extra days with years of service, when I left I was up to 31 days. I have friends who stopped at that employer who I know got up to over 40 days holiday (but that is much less common nowadays).

I think that 25 days is about the norm for full time salaried roles here now.

FizzyWater · 07-03-2015, 05:36 PM

I knew a couple of guys (20 years ago or so) who work in places where you earned vacation by the hours. I can't remember the details, but let's say you could earn up to 2 weeks in your first year, but it was rolled out proportionally. They also didn't lose it and weren't forced to take it. (For example, where I work, I currently get 4 weeks. Unused it's lost at the end of the year, and I'm forced to take at least 5 days off together at one time). One of these guys was an engineer who didn't take much time off, and when we has nearing retirement, he had something like 5 years worth of vacation accrued! At that time, his company offered him the option to receive a lump-sum payment for the earned time, rather than taking the last 5-working-years of his live off for vacation.

I doubt there's anyplace left that does that any more.

07-03-2015, 02:53 PM	#1
Fat Abe Man Who Stares at Books Posts: 1,824 Karma: 10606722 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: 50th State, USA. Also, PA, NY, CA, and elsewhere. Device: All of the Above	Vacation According to Time magazine, the USA is one of the few nations in the world where vacation is not required by law for those who work for a full-time wage or salary. This does not mean we get no vacation, just that it is a benefit voluntarily provided by an employer. Today, the greatest fear in the U.S. workplace is not sexual or racial discrimination. The biggest worry is being left behind, discarded due to financial considerations, mostly in the name of "efficiency." People who do not feel "valued" take a defensive stance. They do not use all the vacation days allocated to them. http://time.com/3656850/americans-vacation-2014/ What is your excuse, assuming you are part of the group of employees who do not partake of vacation? Big business crossed a boundary in the early 2000's with a concept known as Paid-Time-Off (PTO). This lumps together vacation and sick days. The squirrels among us always prepare for a time of drought, even in times of plenty. This is one of my excuses for eschewing vacation. The second reason is that I do not trust in the abilities of my coworkers. The editing room is filled with incompetent people who would mangle the front page. Their handiwork could cost the business its income, as well as sink the entire establishment. A good job is not a universal right, it is a hard fought reward for years of slavery. Finally, the post 9/11 world has change everyone's perception of the safety of the world. Why travel anywhere that could be the locale of a terrorist attack? Hawaii is safe enough and a paradise- who needs to visit Bora Bora? Anyway, I can't write while on the road. Vegas is an alternative, just for the experience.

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07-03-2015, 04:45 PM	#2
FizzyWater You kids get off my lawn! Posts: 4,220 Karma: 73492664 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, Ohio Device: Oasis 2 and Libra H2O and half a dozen older models I can't let go of	At the risk of sounding like a heartless bitch, one of the reasons I've lost vacation in the last 8 years is because I have a job that is backed up by one co-worker. And in the last 8 years, each of the two people who have held that position seem to always take FMLA time off just when I've had time scheduled off. I'm not a big fan of hot weather, so I tend to schedule most of my time before May and after September. I don't know what it is about that position that keeps attracting applicants with health issues.

07-03-2015, 04:51 PM	#3
Bilbo1967 Not scared! Posts: 13,424 Karma: 81011643 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Midlands, UK Device: Kindle Paperwhite 10, Huawei M5 10	I've heard tales of American workers getting little holiday. What is a "normal" amount of holiday for a job in the US?

07-03-2015, 05:11 PM	#4
FizzyWater You kids get off my lawn! Posts: 4,220 Karma: 73492664 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, Ohio Device: Oasis 2 and Libra H2O and half a dozen older models I can't let go of	Depends on the job. There are lots of jobs that don't have paid time off, other than government, and sometimes Christian religious, holidays. Blue-collar jobs tend to get less, unless they're unionized or in a shop worried about being unionized. When I started working in an office (1985), it was common to get 2 weeks vacation for the first 5 years (adding 2 more with additional time up to 20 years) for general operational type jobs (more for execs of course). Now, people in the same job I had all that time ago are getting 4 weeks when they walk in the door. But I've only ever worked full time in one industry, so I can only speak for what I know about my companies or my friends who talk/complain about theirs.

07-03-2015, 05:36 PM	#6
FizzyWater You kids get off my lawn! Posts: 4,220 Karma: 73492664 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, Ohio Device: Oasis 2 and Libra H2O and half a dozen older models I can't let go of	I knew a couple of guys (20 years ago or so) who work in places where you earned vacation by the hours. I can't remember the details, but let's say you could earn up to 2 weeks in your first year, but it was rolled out proportionally. They also didn't lose it and weren't forced to take it. (For example, where I work, I currently get 4 weeks. Unused it's lost at the end of the year, and I'm forced to take at least 5 days off together at one time). One of these guys was an engineer who didn't take much time off, and when we has nearing retirement, he had something like 5 years worth of vacation accrued! At that time, his company offered him the option to receive a lump-sum payment for the earned time, rather than taking the last 5-working-years of his live off for vacation. I doubt there's anyplace left that does that any more.