hungryhorace

And yours also being unable to engage brain and search Google yourself.

Read: Miele Washing Machines - Whitegoodshelp

Hotscot

Maybe I just I enjoy chatting

hungryhorace

Maybe. WGAF.

Hotscot

hoffage123

Our last washing machine (which we sold when we moved over to the US) was a Candy CMD146 (dual washer/dryer). The dryer bit broke down quite quickly, but the washing machine bit was still going strong about 8 years from when we bought it ... it cost us £300 back in 2006 ...

Hiro11

Getting back on topic, I work for a Fortune 200 company and all exempts here get 25 days of PTO to start. I've been here 13 years and currently get 32 + 5 that I carry over. That's 37 days or 7.5 weeks of PTO. Regardless of what country you may be talking about, that's plenty of time off. I don't think my company is completely out of the ordinary for large American countries.

The article is ridiculously overstated in general. Just because there's no Federally mandated vacation time doesn't mean that no one here gets time off. Also, when they say "developed countries" they really mean Europe which likely has the highest levels of guaranteed vacation in the world. I used to live in Japan, which I would certainly consider a "developed nation". If you want to see a truly no vacation nation, give that a try.

Hotscot

Yes, there are always exceptions to the general issue of lower vacation time in America. You're situation being one of them.

I was the same in Adobe, but that wasn't the norm for the U.S.

hungryhorace

Maybe its a Bay Area thing, with all the startup's attracting the best talent, but the reality for the rest of the country is massively different. Microsoft and Amazon certainly don't offer such generous PTO, for example.

Hotscot

That's what I feel...that the Bay Area, especially Silicon Valley, tends to skew things.

scrubbedexpat091

I've worked for 3 fortune 500 companies but was not in a management role and have no clue what the exempt employees got (which was a smaller % of all employees) and vacation/time off at 2 of the 3 was nothing, the other provided 10 days a year for 5 years, and then 15 days after that, but no sick time, it was vacation time, so had to be taken in 1 week blocks, if not used by last pay check of the year it was paid out.

Vacation/time off varies to an extent its impossible to say what the norm is beyond a good amount get none, even within companies that provide good time off to exempt/management may give nothing to very little to the rank and file on the front lines.

My sister works for a medium sized online company in San Diego, and after 15 years there, they finally gave her 5 days a year.

Government agencies still seem the best place to work for time off benefits. My dad works for the local school district and has done so since 1977 in various job functions all non-management, and he now takes more time off per year then working, but is close to retirement and has been banking his time off for 20+ years, but private companies don't usually do this, but would be nice to have....lol

Pulaski

You have very low expectations, and have been content to skip from one non-career job to another. Maybe your sister is the same?

My employer gives all new hires 18 days, plus 8 of the public holidays, rising to 23 days (plus 8 PHs) after two years, and 28 days after 10 years. I think it rises again after 20 years. I am contemplating applying for jobs with other companies, but if they're giving less than 25 days + most of the PHs I won't move for less than a solid 25%+ rise.

scrubbedexpat091

My sister has been in the same department the whole time, does something in purchasing, not exactly sure.

I didn't really have a choice but to go company to company, have to go where you can maximize the amount of money you can make, but other then a stint in retail, I have been in the same industry since 2004 which is the hotel world, all night audit. That is about as high as you can get in a hotel without a college degree and desire to be in management which I don't as management is not something I excel in. I have tried it, I am no good at it, so no other options.

I would have stayed happily at the airline and built it into a career, but unfortunately airlines went on a mass outsourcing spree in the early 2000's and continues until today, and was forced out in 2003. Since its pretty much an industry wide situation, its more or less not possible to have a career in that industry anymore except for pilots.

I wouldn't say my expectations are low, I'd say they are realistic.

Other then a couple random college classes, I have nothing above high school, and no actual skill in anything, so I am limited to front line work in the service sector, and its impossible to make a career in those jobs and those companies unless you go into management and have a college degree.

I won't succeed in college, been there done that and collected the debt. Not everyone is suited to college, and a big issue in today's world is its basically impossible to make a living without a degree.

Better to be realistic then have high expectations that will never happen and be disappointed down the road.

I can't justify going into debt and not passing college again, I am simply not college material its just unfortunate the world thinks everyone can succeed in college.

I have cousins in career jobs in nursing and they get very limited time off as well, its not just non-career jobs that have a lack of time.

markonline1

Harsh!

AlphaTangoMike

I think that the landscape is slowly starting to change. More people are aware of the fact that the US is lagging in this area when compared to other developed nations. It seems to be the case that many of the American multinational corporates/enterprises are now increasing their PTO / vacation days for their US-based staff. As has been mentioned before, they have to be competitive to attract and retain the appropriate talent.

The corporate that I work for recently changed their policies. (about a year ago). It used to be the case that any new hires would receive 10 days vacation days, 3 'personal/floating' days plus 10 paid holidays (there is no limit on sick days, it's left to management discretion). After 2 years of service, the vacation days would increase to 15. After 8 years, an increase to 20 and after 20 years it would increase to 25.

With the new policies, every new employee starts with 15 days of vacation and after 5 years, receives 20 days. If you stick around for 20 years, you'll get 5 weeks. In addition to 10 paid holidays and 3 personal/floating days and no real limit on sick days.

MarylandNed

I'm in IT. I get 6 weeks plus public holidays.