Would more holiday be good for America?

[2-0-Sixx]

The figures in a 2007 report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) are stark. It looked at 21 of the richest countries in the world, and found that only one, the US, does not impose a legal mandate on employers to provide time off.

Obviously, people in America do get paid annual leave, but for most wage earners it is subject to so many different calculations based on seniority and how much you earn, it can only be described as miserly.

In other words, it is a privilege to be earned rather than a normal part of compensation.

Nine days of annual leave is what the average American accrues during the course of a year. So you have to be at your job for 12 months before you begin to get even that amount.

Full Article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-11139960

 

[Calm 1 NPK 503]

Because we are all corporate slaves...

 

[NovaFire]

Itll be interesting to know if paid vacation makes for more productive citizens.

 

[Smile]

I have read studies that for the Spanish, they tend to be more productive throughout the work day, although they take the long breaks for siesta's in the middle of the day.

 

[iaoish]

I knew you had it bad in the US because I heard you could only take 2 weeks max per year or so. Is this true? And 0 payed.... damn... There is no 'happy worker policy' in America....

I couldn't believe it, most holiday's I go on are about 3 weeks. Then I take some extra time of around the end of the year..

I always had 25 days and not 20 though.... Also if you have some spare from the year before you can choose if you want to be payed in money from those extra day's which isn't very profitable because taxes take a chunk of about 40% out of that.
Or you can have them added to the next year. So you would build up 25 day's and had 7 spare because you didn't use them from the year before then you start with 7 day's and build up to 32 day's

 

[iaoish]

I have read studies that for the Spanish, they tend to be more productive throughout the work day, although they take the long breaks for siesta's in the middle of the day.

Most places in Spain they start working around 10.00 in the morning. They take a 2 hour lunch break and then they work until around 8 in the evening.

Most offices as I know of still do this. They also eat dinner around 11 or 12.
At least this was still going on very much in 2006. I am not really sure if it's entire Spain though..

 

[Fucky McFuckerson]

I knew you had it bad in the US because I heard you could only take 2 weeks max per year or so. Is this true? And 0 payed.... damn... There is no 'happy worker policy' in America....

I couldn't believe it, most holiday's I go on are about 3 weeks. Then I take some extra time of around the end of the year..

I always had 25 days and not 20 though.... Also if you have some spare from the year before you can choose if you want to be payed in money from those extra day's which isn't very profitable because taxes take a chunk of about 40% out of that.
Or you can have them added to the next year. So you would build up 25 day's and had 7 spare because you didn't use them from the year before then you start with 7 day's and build up to 32 day's

It depends on the company.

As it stands, I get two weeks paid vacation a year. Come next June, I will have 3 weeks (5 year anny), and after 10 years, 4 weeks.

Some company's actually cash you out if you dont use vacation time before the 365 day accumulates to the next cycle of vacation time.

And maybe im not understanding the chart, but we have several paid holidays here, including xmas and thanksgiving.

 

[ColdBlooded]

It would be good if we had (more some have none) mandated paid holidays. Right now not enough people get paid vacation and not enough of them get to use it. Paid sick days should be mandated as well.

 

[2-0-Sixx]

It depends on the company.

As it stands, I get two weeks paid vacation a year. Come next June, I will have 3 weeks (5 year anny), and after 10 years, 4 weeks.

I have similar with my company. The problem is I can't take it all at once though, so if I want to take a 3 week vacation I can't do that, I have to spread it out over the year, or not take it, as the company will never allow me to be gone for that long period of time, I assume that's the same for many people. It's difficult for me to take off an entire week without putting up a fuss about it.

 

[2-0-Sixx]

And maybe im not understanding the chart, but we have several paid holidays here, including xmas and thanksgiving.

It's not mandated though. If a company wants you to work on xmas you're working on xmas.

 

[iaoish]

As it stands, I get two weeks paid vacation a year. Come next June, I will have 3 weeks (5 year anny), and after 10 years, 4 weeks.

Damn, 4 weeks after 10 years? this is messed up man, you are all getting screwed. How could you ever change jobs with these arrangements?
I seriously would be depressed at work when I couldn't go on vacation twice a year or one time for a longer period..

@2-0-Sixx, can't you make arrangements with your boss to go for a longer period of time?


Edit: Even Japan has 10 lol

 

[Fucky McFuckerson]

I have similar with my company. The problem is I can't take it all at once though, so if I want to take a 3 week vacation I can't do that, I have to spread it out over the year, or not take it, as the company will never allow me to be gone for that long period of time, I assume that's the same for many people. It's difficult for me to take off an entire week without putting up a fuss about it.

Wow thats gay. My company doesn't give a shit. However, they would run a guilt trip on me faster than i could say "fuck off".

 

[2-0-Sixx]

Nah, I'm the only one that can do what I do here (browse the siccness for hours upon hours) so it would be difficult

 

[iaoish]

I know what you mean haha
But what if you are sick for a long period of time? Shouldn't there be at least 2 of what you do?

 

[NovaFire]

Europe: More Holidays and More Productive?


http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/aug2009/gb20090818_398605.htm

 

[2-0-Sixx]

^^a well rested and happy employee is clearly more productive than a depressed and tired one.

@iaoish, you'd think that would be the case :/

If it get sick for a long time my sick days would run out then I'd have to use vacation time as sick time! That's what I already do a lot - use vacation time to go see the doctor and shit like that.

 

[iaoish]

Europe: More Holidays and More Productive?


http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/aug2009/gb20090818_398605.htm

My priorities are vacation over productivity.


@ 2-0-Sixx That's messed up man. Also with so many unemployed you'd think hiring an extra person would be the most logic thing to do, to bad that guy's paycheck will lower your boss bonus. Otherwise he might have hired one.

It's truly hard for me to believe you can even run out of sick day's.. lol at America for promoting freedom.
What happens if you also run out of vacation day's though?

 

[Artistic]

fuck no no more holidays

they make my unemployment checks come late.

 

[2-0-Sixx]

most likely you wouldn't get paid for those days taken off or you'd be fired depending on where you work at, unless it's a work related illness then the state would intervene.

America is the ultimate workers exploitation country. Workers have very little rights compared to most european countries. A lot of that is because American union membership in the private sector is less than 8% compared to some european countries that might be 80%!!! When workers strike in say, France for example, the country shuts down. When workers strike in Ameirca it barely makes the news. That's years and years of anti-union policies since the 1950's for you.

 

[iaoish]

yeah, lol at France.

are there really regulations against unions? If not those should be propagandized like crazy.