Why Does the U.S. Hate Vacation Time?

[sm0ke]

someone give this young man some red rep

Either facetiousness offends you or you didn't catch that part of it.

 

[mbewane]

If you're a Redditor, you realize how the Europeans basically laugh at us.

It's alien to some of them.

"Work to live, not live to work"

But TWISM13 hit it on the head, it's basically a competition and some of these companies indirectly imply that they will promote the person who works the most, even if those days are designated for vacation or sick time.

Same thing goes with that "don't discuss salaries with co-workers" thing. That's just a way of trying to prevent you from realizing if you're getting screwed or not.

What?

 

[superunknown23]

What?

It's even more taboo than talking politics... One of those things you're expected to shy away from

 

[mbewane]

It's even more taboo than talking politics... One of those things you're expected to shy away from

Man that really surprises me, I would've thought that in a business-minded (meaning materialistic) society like the US people would openly talk about how much they make...in Belgium wasn't really taboo...and people don't discuss politics either? From my experience people discuss politics all the time in Europe including on the workfloor

 

[Brown_Pride]

Ontop of no healthcare

This country is a fukking mess, can't help but laugh when people proclaim it as the best nation on earth. Might as well blow up the planet if that were true.

yeah when i hear someone say that I always ask them how so?

Ultimately they leave being either pissed off at me, or pissed off at america, there's no way that conversation doesn't NOT end in anger.

 

[Brown_Pride]

My goal in life is to get a job like my moms. Paid vac = 35 days with a 10 day carry over max for unused days. shyt is like 3 day weekends almost year round

I work a flex schedule so i do 8 days at 9 hours (72 hours) and one day at 8 hours then i get one day off ever two weeks. I get a 3 day weekend every other week...on payday

I benefits package is pretty solid

But yeah America sucks for...some

 

[Robbie3000]

Speaking of vacations, aren't you going into law? If it's corporate law, there is no such thing as vacation.

You ready for them 80+ hour work weeks?

 

[No1]

Speaking of vacations, aren't you going into law? If it's corporate law, there is no such thing as vacation.

You ready for them 80+ hour work weeks?

Not in my practice area.

 

[Rickdogg44]

13 Days + regular holidays (new years, memorial day, July 4, labor day, Thanksgiving, day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas).

Those 13 are total....so sick, personal, vacation etc...

 

[superunknown23]

13 Days + regular holidays (new years, memorial day, July 4, labor day, Thanksgiving, day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas).

Those 13 are total....so sick, personal, vacation etc...

Pretty standard... I get the usual 2 weeks, plus 3 personal days, jury duty and bereavement

 

[Vandelay]

I guess imma go against the grain here...i think europe is the wrong place to compare considering multiple countries teetering on disaster economically.

Financially this country has it all fukked up...the proportions of wealth going to the top 1 and 2% is utterly criminal. However, i think most companies have it right when it comes to vacation time. 2 weeks, plus holidays when you first get hired and another 3-5 sick or discretionary days, allow one extra week for every 5 years of service. Shyt most companies ive worked for...and its been alot, allow you this and extra without any kind of discipline kind of recourse.

 

[Type Username Here]

I guess imma go against the grain here...i think europe is the wrong place to compare considering multiple countries teetering on disaster economically.

Don't do this to yourself friend. You're neglecting economic powerhouses like Germany, the UK, France and the Scandinavian countries, some of which go way beyond what Greece, Portugal and Spain have offered in terms of these benefits.

 

[Vandelay]

Don't do this to yourself friend. You're neglecting economic powerhouses like Germany, the UK, France and the Scandinavian countries, some of which go way beyond what Greece, Portugal and Spain have offered in terms of these benefits.

And you are right, France, Germany, Scandanvia and UK all have robust economies. Vacation time goes a long way to worker productivity and well-being. The one misnomer here is none of those countries have the population of the USA, hell they aren't even the size of the US combined. Not to sound like an imperialistic hegemon, but when working properly and moralistically I think we as a country offer a lot to the world. We can't continue that if we offer anything less than stellar performance from an industrial perspective. Those countries you name, while durable will never be pillars of the world in their current state.

I personally believe people should earn everything they have, and that includes vacation time. Of course there should be a baseline and exceptions made for certain circumstances. But imo, no one should have a month of vacation time as soon as you get hired unless you are sick or pregnant...that should be earned.

I realize this nation is in decline as a world power. I don't think the US will become a third world derelict if we up vacation time to a month instead of 2 weeks when you get hired, but you will see a gradual shift in power to those countries that have an edge on us economically, productively, and intellectually. Perhaps in some ways that's not the worst thing, but I don't necessarily think its a good thing either.

 

[Birnin Zana]

And you are right, France, Germany, Scandanvia and UK all have robust economies. Vacation time goes a long way to worker productivity and well-being. The one misnomer here is none of those countries have the population of the USA, hell they aren't even the size of the US combined.

I've been hearing this argument concerning a lot of social issues. While those countries may not have our population, they also do not have our wealth. We're a country that doesn't have a problem starting two wars at the same time. That's not even counting the other extremely expensive programs passed in the past ten years alone. I find it hard to believe that, all the sudden, mandating paid-time off will break the bank. If I'm wrong on this, feel free (you or someone else) to let me know.

Not to sound like an imperialistic hegemon, but when working properly and moralistically I think we as a country offer a lot to the world. We can't continue that if we offer anything less than stellar performance from an industrial perspective. Those countries you name, while durable will never be pillars of the world in their current state.

1. Whether the country has been ran properly for the past ten years (or even further) is highly questionable.

2. The country definitely hasn't been ran moralistically. You said it yourself: income inequality has been increasing. Hell It's at record levels. Profits are dictating success these days, not quality of life.

Keep in mind that Americans are working harder and longer than ever. Yet, pay has stagnated while corporations have earned record profits. Many of the folks that nearly destroyed our economy (and the world's) either are still there OR received extremely rich severance packages. They basically got paid millions of dollars for ruining lives.

I personally believe people should earn everything they have, and that includes vacation time.Of course there should be a baseline and exceptions made for certain circumstances. But imo, no one should have a month of vacation time as soon as you get hired unless you are sick or pregnant...that should be earned.

Fact is, American workers work longer than anyone one in the world : Americans Work More Than Anyone - ABC News

In general, Americans workers have earned vacation time a long time ago.

I don't think the US will become a third world derelict if we up vacation time to a month instead of 2 weeks when you get hired, but you will see a gradual shift in power to those countries that have an edge on us economically, productively, and intellectually.

1. No one is asking for a month off. In fact, the OP mentioned Alan Grayson's bill, which is proposing only one week paid-time off for business with over 100 employees. Small business are basically exempt.

3. Not only will the US not be a third-world derelict because paid-time off, most likely it will have little overall effect long-term in its economy.

Take Greece and Germany, for example. Greek workers work over 2,000 hours a week and have two-week vacations. Germans: barely over 1,400 hours of work and take 4 week vacations PLUS 9 to 13 bank holidays. Yet Germany is doing far better economically (arguably the best in Europe), while Greece's economic is in complete chaos. Source: Why Europe's Long Vacations May Make Economic Sense - TIME

Greece is where it is due to horrible management, bad investments, nepotism, and an inability to properly collect taxes from its upper class, not lazyness and not because of vacations.

 

[Vandelay]

I've been hearing this argument concerning a lot of social issues. While those countries may not have our population, they also do not have our wealth. We're a country that doesn't have a problem starting two wars at the same time. That's not even counting the other extremely expensive programs passed in the past ten years alone. I find it hard to believe that, all the sudden, mandating paid-time off will break the bank. If I'm wrong on this, feel free (you or someone else) to let me know

1. Whether the country has been ran properly for the past ten years (or even further) is highly questionable.

2. The country definitely hasn't been ran moralistically. You said it yourself: income inequality has been increasing. Hell It's at record levels. Profits are dictating success these days, not quality of life.

Keep in mind that Americans are working harder and longer than ever. Yet, pay has stagnated while corporations have earned record profits. Many of the folks that nearly destroyed our economy (and the world's) either are still there OR received extremely rich severance packages. They basically got paid millions of dollars for ruining lives.

Fact is, American workers work longer than anyone one in the world : Americans Work More Than Anyone - ABC News

In general, Americans workers have earned vacation time a long time ago.

1. No one is asking for a month off. In fact, the OP mentioned Alan Grayson's bill, which is proposing only one week paid-time off for business with over 100 employees. Small business are basically exempt.

3. Not only will the US not be a third-world derelict because paid-time off, most likely it will have little overall effect long-term in its economy.

Take Greece and Germany, for example. Greek workers work over 2,000 hours a week and have two-week vacations. Germans: barely over 1,400 hours of work and take 4 week vacations PLUS 9 to 13 bank holidays. Yet Germany is doing far better economically (arguably the best in Europe), while Greece's economic is in complete chaos. Source: Why Europe's Long Vacations May Make Economic Sense - TIME

Greece is where it is due to horrible management, bad investments, nepotism, and an inability to properly collect taxes from its upper class, not lazyness and not because of vacations.

I could spend the next hour typing out rebuttals to all your points, the thing is, I'm not really debating those points. I didn't watch the videos, but I read the thread. I know some jobs don't give you paid time off, that's an outright crime, I've worked jobs where if I called out I'd be fired and I've also worked jobs where people took 30+ days off a year and nothing happened. The concensus I got from reading this thread is we should have 30+ days right off the bat.

I'm looking at a bigger picture. Your right about Germany, and your right about the USA. We are arguing from 2 different points of view. My point is this, having more time off is not going to cripple us, but its just one more step in a 30+ year line of steps downward (union busting, nafta, unchecked entitlements, military industrial complex, education drain and the coming collegiate bubble, automation, off-shoring, wall street collapse and subsequent non-punishment). All of these things are contributing towards this long decline we have been on.

I want the US to remain elite. You don't stay elite with everyone having 35 days off, 12 holidays, the weekend, and every other day you feel like calling out off. That's my point of view...we are slipping into mediocrity and this is just one more step towards that. Some may say I'm reaching, exaggerating, but whatever. I know the USA isn't perfect. But I think its the closest thing we have.