Holidays

[Aradia]

I've just heard on the radio that most North Americans only get two weeks paid holiday per year!

Is that true??!!


I'm horrified. How do you manage with just two weeks?

[ellaminnowpea]

True for some. I think my mom gets only 2 weeks. But my dad gets about 2 months off but only takes 1 week/ year. He's been working 60+ hours/ week for the past 40 years... It's crazy!

[snivelingchild]

ONLY 2 WEEKS?? I dream of the day that I get one paid week a year. But, yeah, my dad got two paid weeks, my mom got nothing.

I'm going to take half a week off in August, and I just have to deal with making no money.

[veganwitch]

Aradia, how much time off do you get in France? The only reason I work where I do (in a public school) is b/c I only work 180 days a year. I couldn't imagine going back to a job where I got only a couple of weeks off a year.

[Aradia]

I guess I work for myself, so not sure what holidays they get in France (I think they're pretty good though).

In the UK I would expect AT LEAST 4 weeks paid leave. And that generally increases the longer you are with a company ... often 1 day extra per year you've been with the company.

I've had up to 7 weeks of in a year, what with annual allowance, plus bonus time plus flexi time.

Are salaries in the USA a lot higher as you don't get much paid leave?

I'm really quite shocked actually. How can you work all year with only a week or two for holidays, travel, relazation? Don't people get exhausted by the end of the year?

[ellaminnowpea]

Are salaries in the USA a lot higher as you don't get much paid leave?

No, actually lower cause in general because standard of living is lower (products cost a LOT less) an taxes!!

I'm really quite shocked actually. How can you work all year with only a week or two for holidays, travel, relazation?

No choice....

Don't people get exhausted by the end of the year?

YES!! I want my dad to be able to retire, hes never taken off more than a week/ year for 40 years! Now he's not going to be able to retire for another 10 years? Pisses me off!!

[Agatha]

ow many bank holidays do you get? here we get a miserable five bank holidays a year (compared to about 20 in europe) and i think 20 days paid annual leave is statutory. in addition we have the benefit of a minimum wage - whihch doesn't actually reflect the cost of living, but thats another bugbear.

[snivelingchild]

Bank holidays??? On holidays like labor day, memorial day, thanksgiving, etc, it depends on your job if you get it off. The only days I get off each year is christmas, thanksgiving, and new years, 1 day for each, but they aren't paid. I just work other days to make up for it.

If you have a good job, it's usually labor day off, memorial day off, sometimes July 4th (some people get half days), two days for thanksgiving, and two days for christmas, plus one or two weeks vacation.

[snivelingchild]

Oh, and federal minimum wage here is $5.85, about to be $6.55, and will end up being $7.15 next year (3.65 pounds or 4.58 euros). The year before last, it was $5.15 an hour (2.63 pounds or 3.30 euros). I believe that highest state minimum wage in the country is California with $8 an hour. (4.08 pounds 5.13 euros) In San Francisco, it's $9.36, highest in the country.

The minimum wage in the UK is 5.52 pound, or $10.80, but raises to 5.73 pounds in October. In France, it's 8.44 euros, which is about $13.15.

[karenann33]

As a CPA I used to get comp time. I'd work more than 40 hours during tax season then get to take that off during the rest of the year. It usually worked out to 3-6 weeks off depending on the hours.

But yep 2 weeks is norm if you are lucky. My dh just recently after 10 years with the city gets I think 3 weeks but he also gets comp time for overtime as well. So neither of us in our professions had issues with getting time off. It truly wasn't a problem.

[Mr Flibble]

The minimum wage in the UK is 5.52 pound

For 22s and over

[cobweb]

i never used to get more than 2 weeks paid holiday working in the U.K!. Hmmmm............

[saycheezly]

uk law now is for four weeks minimum.

[ellaminnowpea]

Another reason I hate this country .... so much to look forward to, right...

[bryzee86]

uk law now is for four weeks minimum.

is it really?!