whatever

I have been searching through the internet and need some help understanding all this gubbins about 'Holidays'.

Firstly, is a US 'Observed' holiday the same as a UK 'Bank' holiday? i.e. a day off work.
Is it right that there are National/Federal days and State days that give you the day off of work?

Can anyone tell me which of the following Holidays for 2004 are 'day off work' days (especially those of you that are Brit-Texans )?

1st January New Year's Day
19th January Confederate Heroes' Day (Texas state)
19th Monday in January Martin Luther King Jr Day
19th Monday in February Presidents' Day/Washington's Birthday
2nd March Texas Independence Day
21st April San Jacinto Day (Texas state)
31st May Memorial Day
19 June Emancipation Day in Texas (Texas state)
4th (Monday, 5th 2004) July Independence Day
27 August Lyndon Baines Johnson Day (Texas state)
1st Monday in September Labor Day
11th November Veterans Day
4th Thursday in November Thanksgiving
The Day after Thanksgiving Thanksgiving 2nd Day (Texas state)
24th December Christmas Eve (Texas state)
25th (Friday, 24th 2004) December Christmas Day
26th December Boxing Day (Texas state)
31st December (Friday, 2004) New Years Day

Reeeeeeeally appreciate your help on this

dbj1000

If you work for the Federal Government or a Bank, you get most of those.

If you don't, you get almost none of them.

Of those you listed, I get the following at my very generous company in Texas:

New Year's Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving (plus 2nd day)
Christmas Day

Note: my particular company gives the period between Xmas day and New Year's Day as vacation, but that is so rare here that mine is the only place I know that does this.

What's more, most US firms start you on one week's paid vacation, rising by approximately one day per year you work there. That's a lot less than the standard 4 weeks in the UK!!!

(lucky I negotiated a UK-style vacation package in my current job )

elfman

Very generous???
Do you mean by Texas standards? I get the same you listed above plus Christmas Eve and half a day on New Year's Eve. As for paid vacation I started last year on 10 days per annum rising to 15 after 5 years employment, 20 after 10. And everyone keeps telling me that's really stingy by US standards. Friends back in Britain are routinely appalled to hear how little holiday/vacation I get.

dbj1000

Very generous by most US standards actually. As I said, we get Xmas day through to New Year's Day as paid vacation in addition to the rest of our vacation allowance. It seems to me that this year that will work out as 3.5 days more than your company gives over the festive period!

As for your vacation package - it's just the same as our company. I was just pointing out that many US companies start you on 5 days (as opposed to 10) and then add a day for each year you work there.

Does your company really make you wait until you've been there 5 years before they up your paid vacation from 10 to 15 days?

Personally, I would class my company as extremely generous, since they saw how much vacation I had in my previous job in the UK and started me on 15 days with one extra day for each year I work for them.

It doesn't surprise me that everyone keeps telling you how stingy your company is

elfman

Apparently yes, they do. I don't have my conditions of employment to hand, but I'm pretty sure that's how it works.

My missus works for an American investment bank and when she transferred here from their London office they let her keep the same vacation allowance she had in Britain. Grrr.

Patrick

Boy are you in for a shock when you get here. My advice is forget everything you know about work in England and build from experience here. You are nothing here, not appreciated at all. You a means to an end for the company and all the company is bothered with is making money. If you have to work long hours miss holidays, work weekends you will or they will just find someone who will. Working in the US, on the whole, is no where near as nice as working in the UK. You will probably get 15 days paid holiday a year - this will include all the federal holidays you take and any sick days you take will also come out of that, and you will be expected to have some left over. Don't say you weren't warned

Patrick

dbj1000

I presume you're describing your personal experieces over here, Patrick. Sounds miserable.

I'm appreciated here more than I was in the UK. My company has done everything I could have hoped for and more to make my relocation from the UK work. They have given me more than I asked for in terms of vacation. I worked 40-45 hours per week in the UK, on a 35 hour per week contract. I work 40-45 hours per week here, on a 40 hour per week contract. No difference.

I missed holidays and worked weekend regularly in the UK. I expect the same will happen here.

Sick days don't come out of my vacation - I have unlimited sick days and "personal time" for emergencies, dental appointments, etc.

If Whatever's job is somewhere between your nightmare image and my utopian one then that's not bad going.

That's assuming she isn't going to work for your employers!

Duncan Roberts

My old job I got Christmas Day, Easter Day and Thanksgiving off. My new job I get New Year's Day, Memorial Day (last Monday in May), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day (first Monday in September), Thanksgiving Day, Day after Thanksgiving
and Christmas Day. These don't kick in for 3 months though, I still get the day off but not paid.

I get 2 weeks of vacation which kicks in in January and I have to wait 5 years before that gets upped. Really sucks to talk to mt friend back home who is the same age as me and gets 6 vacation!

You may however end up for a company that does a PTO (Paid Time Off) system where you accrue hours each week you work and then use them for days off, with this system probably you wont get any "holidays" or "vacation" as you will use your PTO when you want to.

whatever

Wow, sounds like you have been given a rough ride Patrick.
What industry are you in/which company??


It is clear to me that some Brits have managed to get a few extra days due to 'that's what I am used to back home' and it hasn't always been for the one's who have transferred. Our US equivalents get 4 weeks paid + sickies and we'd be happy with that, even though my better half gets 25 days at the mo. I wouldn't even mind a couple extra unpaid. Sometimes the time is far more valuable, particularly when your kids are having a ten week summer break!
Our particular industry doesn't work at weekends or evenings unless there is an exhibition, in which case you slog your guts out for 3-5 days round the clock, or an Architectural evening (a p!ss up in other words - all on expenses of course ) - but it's all part of the job.

I was just wondering which Holidays were actual days off so that I could start filling out our diaries ready for the year ahead.

Thanks all

yorkshirelass

My friends back in the UK are always flabbergasted by the small amount of time we get off for holidays and vacations here in the States. And, don't get me started about how jaws drop at the fact that we don't get as many "tea breaks" as they do!!

It is also good to know that if you are in an industry, such as nursing or hospitality where you may have to work on one of these 6 standard holidays, you usually will earn double time!

suzieque

The sick thing is what got me when I first came here. I had my daughter here and as I only had 2 weeks leave the rest was unpaid and no more leave until I had accrued some more.
We were allowed to take 2 weeks a year together aand after 5 yrs 3 weeks (Never made it that far before leaving). The trouble is it makes the trip back to UK so short and no more leave all year except an odd day.
We actually earn so many hours every payday (8hrs I think) but trouble was you could rarely take them. They made you put them in this thing called Extended illness bank, incase you were sick and need exrta sick pay. I told them I didn't want to but they didn't give a choice. Then when I left they didn't give it to you they just kept it...... Seems a good way to make a bit of extra money I think. I was mad but no choice again.
Finally my job (nursing) they were totally anti union and if you were heard even talking about a union they fired you!!!! Crazy
Suzie

rogerpenycate

I work for a govenrment contractor and get 11 paid "bank holiday" days off.
Downside: The last job I had, I had to work a year before getting one weeks paid holiday (I was there 9 months) so no holiday.
This job is the same, I've been here 10 months.
So, so far I've worked 19 months and no paid holiday entitlement yet. I have a week due in June, and if I take it then I'll have to work another 12 months before another week.
That means by the time I get my next Holiday I'd have worked 33 months with one weeks holiday !!!!!!!!!
After being my own boss in the UK for 25 years, this is difficult to take, but "Needs Must" I suppose.

Rete

I have to say in my field (legal secretary in NYC) the majority of law firms start you off with 3 weeks vacation, 5 sick/personal days, and from 9 to 11 holidays.

At present I get 4 weeks vacation, 12 sick/personal days, and 9 holidays. I don't think that is shabby.

Holidays don't have to be earned, you are paid even if you start employment the week before a holiday. Vacation and sick time are earned and most places will not allow you to take anything but accrued time.

Rete

rogerpenycate

Rete,
Gissa job :0)

whatever

I certainly wouldn't sniff at that!
How long have you worked for your company?