Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You do know that starting with 4 weeks PTO at any job is incredibly rare, right? And you do realize that up to 7 weeks PTO in total for any job at any length of employment is even MORE rare? I have literally never heard of that length of PTO except for outside of the U.S.
My wife is a teacher and she chooses to work summer school. Even choosing to work summer school she still gets 6 weeks of a year. Granted she might go to a workshop or two which lasts for a few hours or more but that's it. Then she goes in a couple of days before school starts to prep her classroom. In all she easily gets over 5 weeks of time off throughout the year.
If you're trying to compare time off as a teacher versus time off in the corporate world then there is no comparison. Teachers obviously have more time off. My wife is also paid VERY well when you consider the retirement and health benefits so you won't really hear her complain. I do admit, you will never be rich off of teaching but you can live comfortably.
I do realize that my company offers more starting PTO than most.
The amount of days teachers work will vary wildly, by state and district. Some states go by hours, some go by days. Some have a combination. Most of my career was spent in North Carolina, which is one of the most demanding states.
However, being a teacher and the work/life balance was actually worse than my more corporate job. When I leave work, I'm completely, totally free. Even when we have mandatory overtime periods, I still find myself with more free time. "Vacation" wise, I left everything behind for about 3 weeks a year. I came to my home state for a week at Christmas. In the summer, I usually came home for a week and spent a week at home relaxing (although I was working retail during this week.)
I get so sick of the whole "teachers have it so easy" mentality. They don't. If they do, they are doing it wrong. I left teaching because there was little teaching left. Scripted lessons, no creativity, money is first instead of kids. If/when things change, I may go back. For now, I will enjoy leaving work at work and making nearly triple my teaching salary.
If one wants to live life versus just exist, it ain't cheap. My husband and I are DINKS, and we don't live an expensive lifestyle yet we're limited on traveling and experiences because everything costs $$$$.
It seems to me that 10 vacation days for the first few years of employment is the norm. That is what i have at my current position that i have been in for 4 years.
In my opinion, 10 vacation days is RIDICULOUS. basically, i can take 2 long weekends (like a thurs-sun off), and 1 large vacation (5 days off)... that puts me at 9 days used, then maybe i can take 1 around the holidays. besides that, work EVERY SINGLE DAY.
It's sad because I'm 29, i make a good salary and so does my boyfriend, and we don't have kids and don't have a mortgage, i would LOVE to travel at least 2-3 times a year. What good is working so much if you can't take any time off to enjoy it and spend some of the money you make? 15 days would be better to start with. you could take 2 solid vacation a year and then have a few days left over for holidays or a day of leisure.
what do you guys think? i would gladly take a pay cut to have an extra week of PTO.
I am age 53, ANY PLACE I have worked has had the same BASIC vacation strategy:
1-5 years, ONE WEEK {5 days}
5-10 Years TWO WEEKS {10 Days}
10-15 years THREE WEEKS {15 days}
15 years and over FOUR WEEKS {20 DAYS}
PLUS there are UP TO 11-13 PAID HOLIDAYS also, some "floaters".... some if you work it, you get another day off {with or without pay depending on the company}, some it is SHUT down that holiday altogether.
SOME have also allowed "Personal days" off...either paid or UNPAID...SOME HAVE NO PERSONAL DAYS OFF AT ALL.
BE GLAD YOU HAVE 10 {TEN!!!!} Paid vacation days at just 4 years!!!!!
PLAN ACCORDINGLY as to WHAT is MOST IMPORTANT to you to take time off.... You can STILL take a holiday week OFF, and take a one week vacation in summer, winter spring or fall to do some {minor maybe} traveling, PLUS you should have at least SOME 3-day weekends too! If you TACK on a vacation day to a 3 day holiday weekend, you get a 4 day weekend like you suggested for the price of only ONE vacation day, THAT plan happens SEVERAL times a year!
Geeze, young people today what the world handed to them on a silver platter......
Currently I work only PART TIME and am NOT eligible FOR ANY paid days!!!! MOH {My Other Half}has TWO part time jobs and ONLY ONE offers 8-10 vacation hours as the job is only part time 8-10 hours a week. The OTHER of MOH's jobs DOESN"T give vacation days to part timers at all !!!
PLAN PLAN PLAN your strategy for time off CAREFULLY. That's all. As you progress in time of employment, you SHOULD get more paid time off.
OR find a differing job that has the vacation requirements you so desire! But don't be surprised if YOU START ALL OVER AGAIN.
I do realize that my company offers more starting PTO than most.
The amount of days teachers work will vary wildly, by state and district. Some states go by hours, some go by days. Some have a combination. Most of my career was spent in North Carolina, which is one of the most demanding states.
However, being a teacher and the work/life balance was actually worse than my more corporate job. When I leave work, I'm completely, totally free. Even when we have mandatory overtime periods, I still find myself with more free time. "Vacation" wise, I left everything behind for about 3 weeks a year. I came to my home state for a week at Christmas. In the summer, I usually came home for a week and spent a week at home relaxing (although I was working retail during this week.)
I get so sick of the whole "teachers have it so easy" mentality. They don't. If they do, they are doing it wrong. I left teaching because there was little teaching left. Scripted lessons, no creativity, money is first instead of kids. If/when things change, I may go back. For now, I will enjoy leaving work at work and making nearly triple my teaching salary.
I'm sorry but i just cannot compare being a teacher to working in business/corporate america. they get the whole summer off for christ's sake. i can agree that during the school year they are busy, but between holiday breaks and the summer's off, it MORE than makes up for any kind of hours during the school year.
I'm sorry but i just cannot compare being a teacher to working in business/corporate america. they get the whole summer off for christ's sake. i can agree that during the school year they are busy, but between holiday breaks and the summer's off, it MORE than makes up for any kind of hours during the school year.
If it's so good become a teacher. I worked in both education and corporate industry. Teaching was more time consuming and stressful.
If one wants to live life versus just exist, it ain't cheap. My husband and I are DINKS, and we don't live an expensive lifestyle yet we're limited on traveling and experiences because everything costs $$$$.
MOH and I are DINKs, and we scrimp and save for a major vacation every 5-8 years, and take a couple extended weekends the opposite years. We don't live lavishly, but have a home over half paid off, two paid off vehicles {a '06, '14}, and some in retirement.
AS I said in my post to the OP above, it's all IN YOUR PRIORITIES, and how you PLAN PLAN PLAN.
We have an automatic savings account for major vacations {Disney world, Hawai'i} right now running every 8 years, and a smaller account each for the "fun weekend getaways" that I put a minimum of $5 a MONTH into all year, if not $10/m. depending on our budget {$240 for a weekender each summer if naught else @ $10/m}. That is Usually for SPENDING on the weekender, and the hotel/gas cost we eat in the regular budget when we take it. We try to take two weekenders a summer.
We can go anywhere form upstate NY about 5-6 hours away and find LOTS to "weekender " to...Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Maryland, ALl over PA, New England, etc. LOTS to do. One favorite is to chase working STEAM LOCOMOTIVEs. This next weekender is to chase on in Arcade, NY at the Arcade and Attica RR, loosely outside of Buffalo, last year a weekender to the Buffalo Conservatory for plants...just as examples.
We are going to Hawai'i again in 2018,19 or most likely 2020. Can't wait, and ALL our MAJOR vacations are PAID for when we go...at a savings rate of $25/biweekly out of one paycheck....automatically before we see the rest of the paychceck.
PLAN and PRIORITIZE and you cna "have a ball" vacationing...often "in your own backyard".
I'm sorry but i just cannot compare being a teacher to working in business/corporate america. they get the whole summer off for christ's sake. i can agree that during the school year they are busy, but between holiday breaks and the summer's off, it MORE than makes up for any kind of hours during the school year.
Become your own boss, and you can take all the time you want without anyone's approval.
Of course, you wake up unemployed every morning until you go sell something.....
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
