Vacation Talk

[Censored by Laurie]

The Musers a currently firing up this discussion...why do most Americans only get 2 weeks of vacation, maybe 3 with tenure...while most developed nations give 6 to 8.

Too much of a live to work mentality in this country to ever change?

[Quoner]

The Musers a currently firing up this discussion...why do most Americans only get 2 weeks of vacation, maybe 3 with tenure...while most developed nations give 6 to 8.

Too much of a live to work mentality in this country to ever change?

I get nearly 5 weeks. Pow. Pow-pow.

[Censored by Laurie]

I get nearly 5 weeks. Pow. Pow-pow.

You guys looking for a History/Philosophy grad with 2 1/2 years experience as a metallurgist?

I'd cut my salary in half to double up on vacation time.

[NT03]

I get nearly 5 weeks. Pow. Pow-pow.

DiTTo

[hickoryhouse]

I just started my job and i start with 3 weeks, goes up a week every two years until i get to five.

Besides, perhaps our longer work time each year helps lead to our higher GDP and such? Just saying...

[oldguystudent]

Who even uses that much? I got up to the coveted three-week level, but it was still an unwritten rule that you never took more than one. Even taking the one, in the dead of July, when 100% of your customers were off the grid, and no sales had been made since the invention of the printing press, would get the off handed comments from management upon return to work. Other than that one dead week in July, we pretty much weren't allowed to take vacation because it was this selling season or that conference season or the editors/marketer/managers were all out for years at a time having babies and we sales staff needed to pick up their slack. The best one could do was to chip away at the vacation by taking an occasional extended holiday weekend. Oh, and let's not forget that compensation was calculated on a 35-hour work week when that amount got racked up by Wednesday for most people, and they weren't stopping until Saturday afternoon.

Of course, you could only accrue three, so it saved the company lots and lots of money on payouts when the mass exodus came.

I chalk it all up as an illegitimate love child of Protestant work ethic and Hyper profit motivated capitalism.

[KingDL1]

I was up to 6 weeks at UPS and the real estate company I work for now I am up to 4 weeks plus comp time. I could swing six weeks if I needed it.

[drex]

Better start thinking of three days vacation in the future....we will need to do that to punch up the GDP to pay for the huge deficits ahead.

[Censored by Laurie]

I just started my job and i start with 3 weeks, goes up a week every two years until i get to five.

Besides, perhaps our longer work time each year helps lead to our higher GDP and such? Just saying...

I did think about that...and has been pointed out on here before, I wasn't an Economics or Business major so do tell me if my logic is flawed here, but I think this makes sense.

US GDP - $14.33 Trillion / US Population - 307 Million = $46,677 GDP/capita (is there an actual term for this? Individual productivity or some-such?)

EU GDP - $18.85 Trillion / EU Population - 500 Million = $37,700 GDP/capita

That is a pretty big disparity...but the poorer nations of the EU drag that number down significantly...heres a look at the 7 highest GDPs of EU member nations.

Germany GDP - 3.818 Trillion / Germany Population - 82.06 Million = $46,525 GDP/Capita

France GDP - 2.978 Trillion / France Population - 65.07 Million = $45,763 GDP/Capita

UK GDP - 2.787 Trillion / UK Population - 60.09 Million = $46,380 GDP/Capita

Italy GDP - 1.575 Trillion / Italy Population - 61.62 Million = $28, 517 GDP/Capita

Spain GDP - 1.683 Trillion / Spain Population - 45.83 Million = $36,724 GDP/Capita

Poland GDP - 567.4 Billion / Poland Population - 38.13 Million = $14,880 GDP/Capita

Belgium GDP - 530.6 Billion / Belgium Population - 10.74 Million = $49,399 GDP/Capita

Again, I'm not certain my logic is sound here...but it does seem that Germany, France, UK and Belgium seem to be as or more productive than the US (Belgium was the nation the Musers used as an example earlier)

I've also heard that unemployment is significantly higher b/c of this added vacation time...but here's what I found in May 2009 unless utherwise noted:

Germany - 7.7%

France - 9.3%

UK - 7.2% (Mar 2009)

Italy - 7.4% (1st fiscal quarter 2009)

Spain - 18.7%

Poland - 8.1%

Belgium - 8.2%

U.S. - 9.5% (June 2009)

I chalk it all up as an illegitimate love child of Protestant work ethic and Hyper profit motivated capitalism.

I'm trying to find some sort of rationale that would lead me to believe its not JUST this.

[Quoner]

I did think about that...and has been pointed out on here before, I wasn't an Economics or Business major so do tell me if my logic is flawed here, but I think this makes sense.

US GDP - $14.33 Trillion / US Population - 307 Million = $46,677 GDP/capita (is there an actual term for this? Individual productivity or some-such?)

EU GDP - $18.85 Trillion / EU Population - 500 Million = $37,700 GDP/capita

That is a pretty big disparity...but the poorer nations of the EU drag that number down significantly...heres a look at the 7 highest GDPs of EU member nations.

Germany GDP - 3.818 Trillion / Germany Population - 82.06 Million = $46,525 GDP/Capita

France GDP - 2.978 Trillion / France Population - 65.07 Million = $45,763 GDP/Capita

UK GDP - 2.787 Trillion / UK Population - 60.09 Million = $46,380 GDP/Capita

Italy GDP - 1.575 Trillion / Italy Population - 61.62 Million = $28, 517 GDP/Capita

Spain GDP - 1.683 Trillion / Spain Population - 45.83 Million = $36,724 GDP/Capita

Poland GDP - 567.4 Billion / Poland Population - 38.13 Million = $14,880 GDP/Capita

Belgium GDP - 530.6 Billion / Belgium Population - 10.74 Million = $49,399 GDP/Capita

Again, I'm not certain my logic is sound here...but it does seem that Germany, France, UK and Belgium seem to be as or more productive than the US (Belgium was the nation the Musers used as an example earlier)

I've also heard that unemployment is significantly higher b/c of this added vacation time...but here's what I found in May 2009 unless utherwise noted:

Germany - 7.7%

France - 9.3%

UK - 7.2% (Mar 2009)

Italy - 7.4% (1st fiscal quarter 2009)

Spain - 18.7%

Poland - 8.1%

Belgium - 8.2%

U.S. - 9.5% (June 2009)

I'm trying to find some sort of rationale that would lead me to believe its not JUST this.

I've passed your study along to HR. You'll start at nearly 4 weeks of vacation, but still, cross your fingers. We've needed someone to help us smelt nickel for months.

[MDH]

Well, KPMG gives 5 weeks to all from day 1 that you work there.

[oldguystudent]

Well, KPMG gives 5 weeks to all from day 1 that you work there.

KPMG suddenly looks a little more attractive!

[FirefightnRick]

I get six plus weeks per year, and I can take them all or bank them for later, or sell back 60 hours worth of it for cash each December. They don't pay me for what I do, they pay me for I'm willing to do.

Rick

Edited July 24, 2009 by FirefightnRick

[Baby Arm!]

At my old job we got 5 weeks from day one, bump to 6 after five years, and to 7 weeks after ten years. I worked there for eleven years, I never used that much vacation so I carried one week over every year. So in effect I had 8 weeks of vacation by the time I left. Nice thing was I was able to cash out any unused time when I left, 2 months pay was a nice going away present

The new job started with only 2 weeks. That was an adjustment! Im up to three weeks now

[forevereagle]

I hate you all. I got two weeks when i started and I get one extra day each year until 5 years, then I max out at 3 weeks.

[Quoner]

You know what I did that I bet others are doing? Taking a PTO system for sick and vacation and combining them. My five weeks is combined, but my office is very flexible about telecommuting, so you can have the flu, say yesterday and today, and not need to take any PTO as you do conference calls and complete projects at home.

[Green Mean]

As long as I was working in corporate I was getting 2 weeks every year and it can roll over up to 4 weeks max. Now I get however much vacation I want since I have my own business.

[BeanCounterGrad'03]

Well, KPMG gives 5 weeks to all from day 1 that you work there.

Good luck taking it all and furthering your career at the same time...at least they let you carry over half into the next year. When I left, I had 4 weeks accumulated so I got a nice payout.

Overall, I'm much happier and spend alot more quality time with my wife with my current job that only gives me two weeks a year.

[NT80]

I earn 8 hours vacation and 4 hours sick leave every two weeks. Use it by the hour, day, week or portions of. Carryover max 240 hours vacation each year, unlimited sick carryover.

[greenminer]

I earn 8 hours vacation and 4 hours sick leave every two weeks. Use it by the hour, day, week or portions of. Carryover max 240 hours vacation each year, unlimited sick carryover.

Sounds like a govie agency?

[NT80]

Sounds like a govie agency?

Yes, your tax dollars at work.