Cape Blue

As others have said, they are often combined as PTO.

Only Europeans and other socialists take their full entitlement each year.

Bob

Where the missus works, because some people were taking the piss with that, people aren't allowed to take a sick day on a Friday/Monday without a doctors note anymore, when regularly they don't need a note unless they take 5 days off sick. Though HR don't seem to enforce it unless it's over a holiday weekend or you seem to do it more than a couple of times.

It's a little silly, as time off is all in one pot including sick leave, the only difference being you don't need to give notice to use it as sick leave, but you would if you needed PTO.

DavidLemon

My company give 15 days vacation (and you are allowed to carry), 6 personal days and 8 days observed federal.

Trouble is there is no one monitoring the system so my colleague has about 1 personal day a week but never calls it in. They must be personal days because he is offline non working and his vacation time is still untouched. Which is rather funny as he was off in Puerto Rico Last month for two weeks getting married

So whilst some companies are very hot on this topic, there are those that are extremely lapse on it too.

HarryTheSpider

My company gives 10 days per year 'personal time' meaning that I can take small amounts of time off with almost no notice for medical appointments or if the cable guy has to come and fix something (again. Grr).

On top of that is the minimum in federal hols - Labor Day, Independence Day, Christmas, New Year etc.

I get 15 days vacation, based on previous relevant experience etc. overall it adds up to 1 day a year more than I got in the Socialist Republic Of UK!!

Bob

Are they paid?

The missus gets 4, but if you want to be paid, you've got to use a PTO day or they're unpaid days off.

Bluegrass Lass

I get these days off at my job, and I get paid for them. I also get Memorial Day and Thanksgiving Day off and get paid for them.

Bob

The missus gets Christmas Day, New Years, Easter and Thanks Giving.

Saying that, as she's management and on the old benefits track, with time served she gets 30 days PTO.

On the other hand, new hire in her position with no real experience gets paid $20K more, so being stuck on the old benefits track isn't all that good.

Wibblypig

A question related to this - what are 'floating holidays'? My husband will get 2 in his new job in addition to PTO and 'holidays'

Bob

Tend to be just that, a holiday day that you can chose to work and take the day off another day.

Wibblypig

A holiday as in public holiday? As he will get 10 paid 'holidays'...trying to work out what is left lol

FinnDiego

We get something called an "employee designated holiday" and that sounds similar to me. Ours is just a holiday you can take when you choose. Not sure what's the difference between that and a vacation day but hey, a day off is a day off.

scrubbedexpat097

M gets two floating days a year. One is meant to be used for his birthday (a month either side is allowed) and the other one at any time. Mind you it was done because new benefits were put in place and a lot of them that have been long term employees lost some of their longevity hours.

I have been taking at least one Friday off a month all of this year because HR decided that didn't want anyone to have excess comp time accumalated and they don't want to pay overtime. It's been great, lots of long weekends!

Markoncarp

I get 15 days vacation, 5 paid sick and 10 bank holiays - plus two floating days to be chosen from a number of options including things like Boxing Day and even Yom Kippur!

With regards Sick, I've been told that people do use them for the odd day off, but not to take the piss.

I was really gutted when I couldnt bring over my 25 days holiday a year from the UK, bu then I thought about how much stuff I have on my doorstep (which I didnt have in the UK) like Skiing in the winter and 30 degrees constantly in the summer and I realised that actually, my weekends will actually FEEL like holidays, rather than dreary weathered breaks from the monotony of work.

tuxedocat

What is a bank holiday?

Markoncarp

National Holidays then... sorry. Force of habit!