USA people have crap holidays from work

[vxsmithers]

had ham said:

vxsmithers said:

The US get more bank holidays - we worked it out at a previous company and it tallies to roughly the same as the UK when you factor this in.

However, they will drop you like a stone whenever they want. Current restructuring is giving a weeks notice to most people the other side of the pond, was the same at my previous American employer. Its a cultural thing that is accepted though, wouldn't suit me, but a lot of people just move states and start again.

Not really on the holiday front...

They have 10 bank holidays - in 2014;

• Wednesday January 1 - New Year's Day
• Monday January 20 - Martin Luther King’s Birthday
• Monday February 17 -George Washington’s Birthday
• Monday May 26 - Memorial Day
• Friday July 4 - Independence Day
• Monday September 1 - Labor Day
• Monday October 13 - Columbus Day
• Tuesday November 11 - Veterans Day
• Thursday November 27 - Thanksgiving Day
• Thursday December 25 - Christmas Day

We get 7;

• New Year's Day January 1
• Good Friday - April 18
• Easter Monday - April 21
• Early May Bank Holiday - May 5
• Spring Bank Holiday - May 26
• Summer Bank Holiday - August 25
• Christmas Day - December 25
• Boxing Day - December 26

UK holiday allowance is far more generous - we usually give far more than the 3 extra bank holiday days they get, in normal holiday allowance. If you compare typical UK to US, we get 10 or so days more when you tot it all up. You're absolutely spot on when it comes to notice though, 90%+ of my (sizeable) US team are on less than 2 weeks

Ahh I forgot to mention the 5 allowable duvet days... I mean, seriously what is that all about? and obviously company specific

[anonymous-user]

vxsmithers said:

Ahh I forgot to mention the 5 allowable duvet days... I mean, seriously what is that all about? and obviously company specific

[Pie with sauce]

DuraAce said:

Usually average another 10/15 unofficially on top of those.

Really?

[DuraAce]

Pie with sauce said:

Really?

Yes, why not? We're salaried so don't get any overtime or any other financial perks. So our boss rewards our efforts and work outside the normal routine with extra days off. It's not 'company policy' of course, however it works. Morale and output are high.

[Challo]

I work for a Global US company and get 25 plus Bank Holidays in the UK. Most of my team are in France and they are always on holiday. They pretty much take most of August off.

[Siko]

6 months off pa.....and two weeks leave on top meaning I can either have 6 weeks off in one (work 14/14) or take a week off and have 3 weeks off, work a week then have two weeks off (twice a year). It's proper rubbish

[Lotus Notes]

In France, I used to get 32 days plus 9 days BHs plus 12 days RTT (for a notional 35 hour week)

Yes, 53 days holiday a year. Only downside was if the BH landed on a weekend, you lost it..

[J4CKO]

Our American colleagues get a bit cagey but they dont work Friday afternoons, they don't really admit it but it goes pretty quiet late afternoon for us from them on a Friday and whenever I have been over there the office is deserted, those that dont work from home, bugger off at lunch.

[krallicious]

Average around 26 days plus Bank Holidays. Overtime is very rarely given as extra holiday but it depends on the employer. I don't understand how people do not manage to use their holidays up. I need at least another 20 days to do everything I want to through out the year.

[Jezzerh]

30 days Hol plus bank hols and one personal day, used to be called a lieu day or a floating day. I also work immense hours at Xmas (retail) which means a week time in lieu to take after Xmas.

[anonymous-user]

Bree said:

Crossflow Kid said:

Bree said:

1 personal day (traditionally for Xmas shopping).

Wot?

It's a paid days leave in addition to our holiday entitlement. We used to have to take it in December as it was designed to give us time to go Xmas shopping (I work in retail, so no hols in December), but we can take it at any time through the year now.

Why can't you just squeeze your seasonal gift purchases around a normal working life like the rest of the known universe?

[Blayney]

This year worked out as 22 days fixed, plus 3+2/3rds float days, plus bank holidays (except good Friday).

[littleguy]

vxsmithers said:

We get 7;

• New Year's Day January 1
• Good Friday - April 18
• Easter Monday - April 21
• Early May Bank Holiday - May 5
• Spring Bank Holiday - May 26
• Summer Bank Holiday - August 25
• Christmas Day - December 25
• Boxing Day - December 26

8

[mybrainhurts]

28-32 days? Bloody hell, when did such generosity begin?

[Viper_Larry]

had ham said:

Not really on the holiday front...

They have 10 bank holidays - in 2014;

• Wednesday January 1 - New Year's Day
• Monday January 20 - Martin Luther King’s Birthday
• Monday February 17 -George Washington’s Birthday
• Monday May 26 - Memorial Day
• Friday July 4 - Independence Day
• Monday September 1 - Labor Day
• Monday October 13 - Columbus Day
• Tuesday November 11 - Veterans Day
• Thursday November 27 - Thanksgiving Day
• Thursday December 25 - Christmas Day

Not all US companies observe the same days which make it confusing. My company, for instance, doesn't observe MLK's birthday, GW's birthday, Columbus Day or Veterans Day. However, we do get the day after Thanksgiving (today!) a day before/after July 4th depending when it falls, we get 1 floating day, a Global Voluntering day and a personal volunteering day, plus 20 days PTO. No sick day though, that comes out of your PTI.

[EDLT]

I feel this well received Cadillac advert is relevant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGJSI48gkFc

[iphonedyou]

Crossflow Kid said:

Why can't you just squeeze your seasonal gift purchases around a normal working life like the rest of the known universe?

Think of it as 29 days holiday, if it bothers you less!

[CB2152]

Crossflow Kid said:

Bree said:

Crossflow Kid said:

Bree said:

1 personal day (traditionally for Xmas shopping).

Wot?

It's a paid days leave in addition to our holiday entitlement. We used to have to take it in December as it was designed to give us time to go Xmas shopping (I work in retail, so no hols in December), but we can take it at any time through the year now.

Why can't you just squeeze your seasonal gift purchases around a normal working life like the rest of the known universe?

Doesn't necessarily have to be gifts. Some things have to be bought closer to Christmas, and with no holiday, and likely more hours being worked in December (so that the rest of the known universe can do their seasonal gift purchases) it can be a royal pain in the jacksie going Christmas shopping when you work in retail.

[Sheepshanks]

Lotus Notes said:

In France, I used to get 32 days plus 9 days BHs plus 12 days RTT (for a notional 35 hour week)

Yes, 53 days holiday a year. Only downside was if the BH landed on a weekend, you lost it..

We employee people in France and the amount of time off they have is ludicrous. Some months they don't work a full week.

I don't think it's as bad as it used to be in the US - most high-tech firms seem to shut between Christmas and New Year now, when time was they'd just have Christmas Day off.

I felt sorry for a couple I sat next to when I flew back from the US recently - they were touring London and Paris, for 5 days. Long way to come for a few days. When we go to the US on holiday we go for 3 weeks.

[Huff]

23 discretionary + Bank hols, but the office also shuts for the week christmas falls in, or bridges to new years eve: call it 27days hol on average.

I have worked abroad; spent 2-1/2 yrs on Borneo after Uni on just 2weeks leave/year and 5-1/2 day, 8am-6pm weeks (mon 8am - saturday 1pm, without the Friday off split-weekend, being non-Moslem. Local terms etc). That soon sucked, but somehow packed an awful lot into the free time...