Holidays

[Peter]

Should the US government regulate holidays as they do in Europe?

In the UK I'm entitled to at least 5.6 weeks of holiday a year by law.
https://www.gov.uk/holiday-entitlement-rights
As far as I know the US has nothing similar and most Americans take less than 10 days off a year which seems crazy to me.

At my job I get 26 days a year of holiday I can book and 8 national holidays which are set for a total of 34 days a year. I can also buy 3 unpaid extra days a year and did so for a total of 37 days holiday this year.
I'm not in the upper reaches of holiday takers in the UK and many people have more than I do.

Do you feel the US system of holidays is fair and if so why and do you think giving Americans more holidays would increase productivity by allowing you to rest, relax and refresh yourselves?

 

[BirdinHand]

Some states, like NJ, require a minimum amount of PTO/sick/vacation days.

The employees of the federal government are entitled to all federal holidays, but there is no federal mandate around PTO. Sadly.

The US lags behind the rest of the world in appreciating work/life balance.

I have seen a shift towards more time off in the past 5 years or so.

Younger generations of American workers have a different mind set than Boomer and even older Gen X workers did. They have much less “loyalty” to employers and recognize that employers aren’t loyal to them.

With the change in demographics of workers, US job market is creating a “demand” for more PTO (paid time off). Some industries are going to adopt that model faster than others.

 

[Allan]

Do you feel the US system of holidays is fair and if so why and do you think giving Americans more holidays would increase productivity by allowing you to rest, relax and refresh yourselves?

Germans work the least number of hours of any OECD country and it doesn't seem to have hurt their productivity.



Graphic source

 

[Peter]

Some states, like NJ, require a minimum amount of PTO/sick/vacation days.

The employees of the federal government are entitled to all federal holidays, but there is no federal mandate around PTO. Sadly.

The US lags behind the rest of the world in appreciating work/life balance.

I have seen a shift towards more time off in the past 5 years or so.

Younger generations of American workers have a different mind set than Boomer and even older Gen X workers did. They have much less “loyalty” to employers and recognize that employers aren’t loyal to them.

With the change in demographics of workers, US job market is creating a “demand” for more PTO (paid time off). Some industries are going to adopt that model faster than others.

I see this with the argument over quiet quitting.
To me quiet quitting is pretty much just normal work in Europe.
In the US you seem to be under constant threat of being fired for not doing overtime at no notice which is all sorts of crazy for anyone with a family.

The idea that simply not wanting to be taken advantage of and treated like shit makes you lazy just shows how far things are scewed towards employers and against anyone who wants an actual life outside of work.

 

[Allan]

Some states, like NJ, require a minimum amount of PTO/sick/vacation days.

The employees of the federal government are entitled to all federal holidays, but there is no federal mandate around PTO. Sadly.

The US lags behind the rest of the world in appreciating work/life balance.

I have seen a shift towards more time off in the past 5 years or so.

Younger generations of American workers have a different mind set than Boomer and even older Gen X workers did. They have much less “loyalty” to employers and recognize that employers aren’t loyal to them.

With the change in demographics of workers, US job market is creating a “demand” for more PTO (paid time off). Some industries are going to adopt that model faster than others.

I see a 4 day work week in the cards for the future. Companies who have adopted it find there's no change in employee productivity.

 

[Peter]

I see a 4 day work week in the cards for the future. Companies who have adopted it find there's no change in employee productivity.

There's been a big trial in the UK with large companies going 4 day week and they've said the results are positive.
They find absenteism is lower and the workers are more productive when they return to work.

It seems that giving people time to visit extended familly and just relax is good for mental health and overall hapiness.

 

[Loulit01]

There is no federal requiring private companies to give employees paid vacations.

Get this...

A restaurant must pay workers $140,000 after allegedly hiring a fake priest to extract confessions of workers’ ‘sins’​

The US Department of Labor said an employee testified that owner Che Garibaldi, who operates two locations of Taqueria Garibaldi in northern California, hired a fake priest to hear confessions during work hours and “get the sins out,” including asking them if they had been late for work, stolen money from the restaurant or had “bad intentions” toward their employer.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/20/business/california-restaurant-fake-priest-fine/index.html

 

[Peter]

There is no federal requiring private companies to give employees paid vacations.

Get this...

A restaurant must pay workers $140,000 after allegedly hiring a fake priest to extract confessions of workers’ ‘sins’​

The US Department of Labor said an employee testified that owner Che Garibaldi, who operates two locations of Taqueria Garibaldi in northern California, hired a fake priest to hear confessions during work hours and “get the sins out,” including asking them if they had been late for work, stolen money from the restaurant or had “bad intentions” toward their employer.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/20/business/california-restaurant-fake-priest-fine/index.html

Everything I see about working in the US tells me I don't want to work in the US.

 

[Peter]

Americans seem to live to work and often brag about missing personel events because they were working and how it makes them more American.

I remember when an American footballer was lambasted for missing a training game to be with his wife for the birth of his first child and they were calling for him to be dropped from his lack of loyalty.
For a bloody training game.
It seems many Americans feel work is the most important thing in life which is just sad.

 

[Tender Branson]

Here in Austria, we have 13 paid holidays off from work (most are religious ones) and 5-6 paid vacation weeks a year, up to 2 years of paid parental leave and unrestricted paid sick leave from work, if doctors confirm the sickness.

Evil SOCIALISM !

Vienna Wins Best Cities to Live In: Monocle

As Monocle releases its annual global ranking for cities, Tyler Brule talks where's best to live worldwide. Vienna is named as the winner for the first time, and there are no North American cities in the top 20 since ranking began. He speaks with Francine Lacqua on Bloomberg Surveillance: Early...

www.bloomberg.com

 

[gdgyva]

Everything I see about working in the US tells me I don't want to work in the US.

well since you live in the UK, that probably wont be a problem will it?

 

[Peter]

well since you live in the UK, that probably wont be a problem will it?

Nope, but this is a topic for those of you in the US.
Do you think the US system of holidays is fine or should you join the rest of the world and actually have decent holiday provision?

If not, why not?

 

[Peter]

Oh yes, I forgot to add that sick time is not take from holiday time and in fact you can claim holiday time back if you're sick while on holiday as you can't be both at the same time.

So, for example if you call in sick on monday and are still off and you had thursday and friday booked as holiday you'd get those 2 days refunded if you take the week off sick and sick is paid at normal pay.
I've done it a few times.

 

[gdgyva]

Nope, but this is a topic for those of you in the US.
Do you think the US system of holidays is fine or should you join the rest of the world and actually have decent holiday provision?

If not, why not?

I dont want the government telling me how to run my business

Never have, and never will

People here get to CHOOSE who to work for....based on pay, benefits, etc

If you arent getting what you want from company A, then ask company B

If both are telling you NO, then you arent worth what you want.....and maybe you need to look at what you are asking for

The best employees, and the most skilled, will always be able to negotiate the best packages

Law of supply and demand....and that is the way i like it

 

[Allan]

I dont want the government telling me how to run my business

Never have, and never will

People here get to CHOOSE who to work for....based on pay, benefits, etc

If you arent getting what you want from company A, then ask company B

If both are telling you NO, then you arent worth what you want.....and maybe you need to look at what you are asking for

The best employees, and the most skilled, will always be able to negotiate the best packages

Law of supply and demand....and that is the way i like it

The preceeding message brought to you by the folks who'd still be putting children in coal mines were it not for government regulations.

 

[Peter]

I dont want the government telling me how to run my business

Never have, and never will

People here get to CHOOSE who to work for....based on pay, benefits, etc

If you arent getting what you want from company A, then ask company B

If both are telling you NO, then you arent worth what you want.....and maybe you need to look at what you are asking for

The best employees, and the most skilled, will always be able to negotiate the best packages

Law of supply and demand....and that is the way i like it

Do you think EU companies are at a disadvantage because they have to adhere to EU working directives?

Why would your company suffer if everyone had the same basic minimum holiday?

 

[StillBallin75]

In a sane economic system, massive productivity gains would be accompanied by workers either working less or earning more, or both.

Americans don't live in such a system. We work so that the tippy top can enrich themselves.

 

[Peter]

In a sane economic system, massive productivity gains would be accompanied by workers either working less or earning more, or both.

Americans don't live in such a system. We work so that the tippy top can enrich themselves.

It does seem like the average worker is constantly being screwed and you have a bunch of people who somehow think that's great.
They vote against mandating holiday or maternity leave and claim its socialism.

 

[StillBallin75]

I dont want the government telling me how to run my business

Never have, and never will

People here get to CHOOSE who to work for....based on pay, benefits, etc

If you arent getting what you want from company A, then ask company B

If both are telling you NO, then you arent worth what you want.....and maybe you need to look at what you are asking for

The best employees, and the most skilled, will always be able to negotiate the best packages

Law of supply and demand....and that is the way i like it

Every major advancement in workers rights did NOT come from employers nor any pristine notion of supply and demand or laissez faire market forces. Y'all cannot be ****ing trusted.

If these things were up to business owners the kids would still be working in the damn mines and contracting emphysema.

 

[Peter]

The industrial revolution showed just how little company owners care about staff.

 

[gdgyva]

Do you think EU companies are at a disadvantage because they have to adhere to EU working directives?

Why would your company suffer if everyone had the same basic minimum holiday?

why?

costs....who the hell is going to pay for all of this time off

someone still has to produce while others are on vacation

customers dont stop spending and needing services

so....i have to HIRE ADDITIONAL people to cover for their absence....

You dont think Uncle Sam is going to foot the bill do you?

 

[Peter]

why?

costs....who the hell is going to pay for all of this time off

someone still has to produce while others are on vacation

customers dont stop spending and needing services

so....i have to HIRE ADDITIONAL people to cover for their absence....

You dont think Uncle Sam is going to foot the bill do you?

If your company can't afford the same basic minimum holiday requirements that every other company will face you don't deserve to be on business.

Literally every change to business has owners claiming the costs will cripple them.
Again I ask, how do EU companies cope with the extra costs of entitlements?

 

[gdgyva]

Every major advancement in workers rights did NOT come from employers nor any pristine notion of supply and demand or laissez faire market forces. Y'all cannot be ****ing trusted.

If these things were up to business owners the kids would still be working in the damn mines and contracting emphysema.

workers have rights

they get to CHOOSE which employer to work for, and which one not to work for

they can negotiate their benefits and their earnings

this isnt 1825 where people are slaves....they have choices

 

[Peter]

workers have rights

they get to CHOOSE which employer to work for, and which one not to work for

they can negotiate their benefits and their earnings

this isnt 1825 where people are slaves....they have choices

Yes because Joe Bloggs off the street has just as much negotiating power as a billion dollar company.
There's a reason we have government regulations rather than just letting the market decide everything.

 

[RF667799]

Unionize, and your union can negotiate your benefits from a position of strength.

In my industry, we had holidays but they weren't paid unless you worked. Then they were paid at time and a half, or double in some cases. Most employers opted not to work the holidays.