How many of us actually get (or take) what we feel is an adequate amount of vacation?
How much vacation (or holiday) do you get a year?
Residents of Australia and many European countries are required by law to get 4 to 5 weeks of vacation each year. If you\'re living in the United States, though, you don\'t get one day off until you\'ve worked with a company for a year.
How many of us actually get (or take) what we feel is an adequate amount of vacation?
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Reply to this Hello Meimei 😊
Where vacation time is concerned the more the better in my opinion.
We live in Bavaria, Germany and get the 5 weeks per year. Well, I get more because my boyfriend is the one who goes to work in our house, but how much time I can use for travelling depends on how much time he gets off work because we have a daughter who needs someone here all the time to look after her.
When I worked in Ireland I got around 3 weeks vacation per year. There were opportunities to get unpaid leave(in limited amounts) and to earn more time off by doing overtime in exchange for more vacation instead of money. I did as much overtime as possible in those days.
To get several months vacation straight here in Europe I have had to quit the jobs I had and find another when I got back.
Seems like the companies in the US expect people to live to work. I talked with an American guy on the internet who worked as a free lancer. He said that he prefers to do this so he can get more time off. After each contract ends he is free to take as much time off as he can afford.
Mel
Reply to this Most of my friends who work in the private sector get 10-15 vacation days per year, which is 2-3 weeks. But of course, you have to be with the company for a set period of time before you see any of that.
I'm however, in the public sector. Full time civilian employees of the US Government are allotted time off based on length of service: Employees begin to accrue vacation pay immediately as follows:
- less than three years 13 days per year (accrued at 4 hours every two weeks)
- 3-15 years of service: 20 days per year (accrued at 6 hours every two weeks, with 10 hours the last week of the calendar year)
- more than 15 years of service: 26 days per year (accrued at 8 hours - one day - every two weeks)
The best part of all of this is that one may continue to accrure this leave from one year to the next. However, one cannot carry over more than 240 hours from one calendar year to the next. I've been carrying that over for the last 5-6 years, and just using my20 days plus holidays. I guess I'm waiting for the right big trip to come along.
The best thing in 2003 is that I will hit my 15th year of service to the country (insert patriotic tune here), and will now get 26 days a year.
Reply to this China is quite an interesting country for that! Indeed, you got 1.5billion people on hollidays twice a year at the same time...(5 days each time, incl WE) let you imagine the mess at the airport...
So do not leave/ arrive China at the beginning/ end of the October 1st & Chinese New Year hollidays, hahaha, except obviously if you wish to enjoy pure chaos first hand!
In addition to those national hollidays, most people get 10 to 14 days hollidays per year, and you can take limited unpaid leave too,
All in all, not bad at all :-)
Reply to this Well I'm a teacher, so I get a lot of vacation time. When I'm not teaching summer school I get the entire months of July and August off. I also get time off around all national holidays.
I could never work the typical 9-5 job. The lack of vacation time would seriously depress me. Travelling renews my spirit and is essential in my life.
Reply to this I work in public sector (Europe) and have 26 days per year, which basically amounts to just a bit more than 5 weeks... unfortunately no opportunity or option for unpaid leave 😞 Out of those, i spend 4 weeks per year travelling...
Reply to this As Meimei said, as an Australian our laws saw 4 weeks for everyone each year, plus we accumulate long service leave if you work for a company for 10 years or more. The first 10 years credits you with 3 months paid leave and it can also be taken at half pay to stretch to 6 months. But, things are changing here as our "SOCIETY" turns more toward being an "ECONOMY" so these entitlements will change overtime as "PRODUCTIVITY" becomes more and more important than "QUALITY OF LIFE". So, make the most of it and take it while you can I think!
Some people I work with actually want to cash in their holidays, but that does not interest me a bit ... in fact next elections here I want to run as a candidate to reverse the order of things so that we work 4 weeks and have holidays the rest of the year (just dreaming)
Reply to this I work in France. The holidays are amazing... I get about 7 weeks holiday a year. The company also allows unpaid leave, with the restriction that it has to start at the end of a project and be for at least 2 months, which seems quite reasonable...
Reply to this Hi Meimei, I work for a private sector company in Scotland and I'm fortunate that I get over 7 weeks off a year. Great, as it allows me to indulge my passion for travel. I think everyone should get more leave as it gives you something to work harder for and it certainly revives your flagging spirits and makes sound economic sense, as your work productivity increases when you get back. Let's make the politicians work for us for a change and make them alter the laws so we get more quality time off!
Reply to this I work for the public service in Australia and receive 4 weeks a year, but if you plan to have some leave around such times as Christmas or Easter, that can easily add another week.
We can also purchase 4 weeks leave at no pay - which I have done for my travels this year. Furthermore, we can accumulate holidays, and so in my job I can build 11 weeks of leave without penalty. Even better though is that after 10 years we receive 3 months leave at full pay (6 months half pay) - and that milestone is under 2 years away for me now. This will mean that I will be able to take 6 weeks a year at full pay for 6 years, or by taking half pay - 8 weeks a leave for those six years.
The future is looking bright!
Reply to this Another way is to get lucky enough to have clients all over the world and to be able to work from whichever internet connection. Won't tell you how manyweeks that can bring, but it's pretty fun...writting this from Aspen, Colorado
Reply to this In Europe you get more vacation than we do in the states also.
Reply to this Here in Bavaria, Germany we get around 35 vacation days per year and sometimes more.
Reply to this After you have worked at a business for a year here, we usually get one week or 40 hours. It is not mandated by the state how much leave you get, hence it is on a sliding scale. I have more than most where I work. I get 3 weeks vacation and another week of personal leave. The personal leave is for when you get sick. Vacation here is earned.
Reply to this In the UK I work shifts... 7 eight hour days. 2 days off, 7 on, 2 off, 7 on, 10 days off then repeat.. i think it works out at 50+ days per year? I cant remember nor am i going to do the maths at 3am lol
Reply to this That looks ideal to me Ian. A lot could be done with those 10 days off. I sometimes fly accross the world, spend 10 days there and then fly back.
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