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One aspect that really bothers me is how stingy companies get in regards to vacation time. In Europe you can easily get 4 weeks or more of vacation. I for one would love to travel internationally and make decent money but vacation time sucks, and my biggest hurdle as seems to be the case for lots of Americans even for those that have really good jobs. I have heard how it's very common for Europeans to get several months off work and travel abroad.
Personally, I wish there were a law requiring companies to give every employee at least a month in vacation regardless of their job.
One aspect that really bothers me is how stingy companies get in regards to vacation time. In Europe you can easily get 4 weeks or more of vacation. I for one would love to travel internationally and make decent money but vacation time sucks, and my biggest hurdle as seems to be the case for lots of Americans even for those that have really good jobs. I have heard how it's very common for Europeans to get several months off work and travel abroad.
Personally, I wish there were a law requiring companies to give every employee at least a month in vacation regardless of their job.
Most companies have a policy that's super old and rigid. There's usually some room for negotiating that; however, I have found that those policies exist only because someone in the organization is lazy to change it. Some of the newer companies are changing that practice. My sister works for a consulting company and starting Jan 1, 2017, they are going to an 'unlimited time off' practice. In theory, as long as you are getting your work done and meeting your objectives, you can take any amount of time off.
It's an employers market we live in today. They have total control over everything. There are
Millions more people looking for work than there are job openings so it's easy to exploit people since they knew
Know people will come crawling to them and take all the abuse just to have a job
That and most people who call the shots in business are sociopathic nutjobs (only a few steps down from dictator status) who have no problem making others suffers (in fact they enjoy it) while keeping all the profits and perks for Themselves
They're afraid of losing productivity...whatever that really means. I see plenty of people glued to their desks perusing Amazon, Pinterest, and CD Forum (^_^).
When I traveled through parts of France and Italy, I noticed how work cultures differed so vastly compared to the U.S., but that is probably more so a reflection of their mentality towards work, wealth, and living — which has very little resemblance from ours, in general.
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I'm at 6 weeks, my newest coworker has taken 3 weeks after just a year, and has a few days left. Some employers don't give any paid vacation at all, others are generous. Just something else to consider when accepting a job offer, not a national stinginess.
It's because of the American bootstrap culture. Leisure time is seen as something that only the wealthy should be enjoying. Joe Schmoe needs to work harder and longer so he can make more money. People boast that they haven't taken a vacation in six years. It's an odd part of our culture and almost every class participates in it.
It's an employers market we live in today. They have total control over everything. There are
Millions more people looking for work than there are job openings so it's easy to exploit people since they knew
Know people will come crawling to them and take all the abuse just to have a job
That and most people who call the shots in business are sociopathic nutjobs (only a few steps down from dictator status) who have no problem making others suffers (in fact they enjoy it) while keeping all the profits and perks for Themselves
This is not true at all, except possibly at the low end and in government where the benefits are usually much better than in the private sector. We hear stories all the time from private sector employers about how they can't find qualified applicants, and even to some extent in the public sector that is the case because the wages are just too low for the expectations due to the cuts.
The reality is that if you give people vacation time they can take, they are still more productive during the time they are there than when employers make them sit there without a break because they get only 6 days off and a week or two of vacation each year.
Personally, I wish there were a law requiring companies to give every employee at least a month in vacation regardless of their job.
I got four weeks of vacation at another one of my previous positions, after I had been there eight years. I had to work for it, and thus appreciated it.
One aspect that really bothers me is how stingy companies get in regards to vacation time. In Europe you can easily get 4 weeks or more of vacation. I for one would love to travel internationally and make decent money but vacation time sucks, and my biggest hurdle as seems to be the case for lots of Americans even for those that have really good jobs. I have heard how it's very common for Europeans to get several months off work and travel abroad.
Personally, I wish there were a law requiring companies to give every employee at least a month in vacation regardless of their job.
This has been discussed many times before in this and other forums - it's a cultural thing. It's not only the US but also Asia that has limited vacation. Japanese for instance put the US to shame in the number of hours they work a week and the personal sacrifices they put up with for there employer.
It's also a measure of productivity, which keeps the US competitive. US employees get paid much more on average than any other country, but with the global economy we have to stay competitive. One way is via increased productivity. One way to increase unemployment in the US is to lose our productivity edge.
That being said, many US companies have a liberal vacation policy. I have more than 6 weeks a year. How do I get that? I paid my dues and got experience and education. I personally compete to get the best job available. You can get that too - simply increase your value and then change jobs. Why don't you? Instead of looking for freebies, earn it.
No, there should be no law regarding vacation in the US.
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