Why is it that in the USA, vacation entitlement is so terrible? I have just taken a week off work - which is exactly half of my annual entitlement. Which is no good to anyone!

Is it proven anywhere that the US is more productive than Europe? Because all I see every day from the depths of cubicle land is people surfing the web, bitching about not getting any time off, or conversely, feeling guilty for taking time off!!

5 years to get four weeks off - seems like a bit much to me. Especially if you change job at some point and it's all of a sudden back to two!

This is probably the single worst aspect of living here for me. Just wondering if anyone else shares my "lazy assed European" approach to life in my desire to get four weeks off!

Probably one of many moans you will hear.

we get 3 weeks elective holiday and aroud 3 more weeks of public/company holidays... from what I've heard there are lots of people who essentially negociate more vaca days when they change jobs.

I'm assuming when you said "change jobs" you meant "get fired, laid off etc" not electively change jobs which would normally involve some kind of negociation.

I'm happy with my time off - I rarely take it anyhoo.

You asked but you might not want to look at the figures. Download this pdf and look at Table 1...


NC Penguin

This article , based on a survey by Expedia may reinforce what many Brits living and working in the US already know about most Americans attitude to taking time off work.


NC Penguin

I think part of the answer has to do with one of the words you used in your question: ENTITLEMENT.

~ Jenney

It's the same in Canada - although luckily my company gives everyone three to start with and 4 after 5 years.

I agree that it is one of the worst aspects of living in North America - I really don't know how people cope with it? I guess they aren't used to anything else. Taking two weeks off in a row is really frowned upon as well!! People don't really seem to take a break either - cos they feel guilty about it or they feel the need to stay in contact with the office incase the world stops spinning whilst they're not there.

Infact this is probably the main reason I would move back to the U.K. It's no wonder Americans are so insular - they don't have any time off to travel anywhere other than their own back yard ffs.

One good thing about Canada is the 1 yr maternity/parental leave everyone is entitled to - that's very progressive.

Thats something that pisses me off big time. I work in an office where everyone seems to want to outdo each other with taking off the least time they can in a year. So when I use my alloted vacation time and comp time hours I get the "you're taking off work again" look I do my job, I keep up with everything I need to do. When I am going to be off I always make sure I am ahead of myself and never expect or have to have anyone cover for me so why these people feel their time in the office is so valuable and they can't possibly take off I don't know. It's your time, you have earned it...use it

(Rant over, and I have adequate vacation time allowed and I use it )

Yeah I find that as well - it's all about how you look, I have a boss that gets to work before everyone, leaves after everyone and only took one vacation day last year!! What's the point in living if all you ever do is work???? He makes everyone else feel like a slacker, even though no- one else is.

I rarely take it because I have no reason to most of the time, when I start to hit the max entitlement I'll take some to knock it down a little, have a little break... but for the most part it sits there waiting for family stuff. There is no such battle or "look" in our office, its around 20% brits so we all tend to just not mind either way.

I just find the whole leave thing very odd, the wife (USC) treats it very seriously, she's been with the same agency for 22 years and is lucky, she gets 5 weeks. She still frets over taking a day off and worries about her entitlement. I've thought about working for someone, but need to stay self employed as it gives me the flexibility I need.

May explain the general psychosis and opportunities for therapists. It just ain't healthy.

You're self-employed?

As is Gruff.

And me

That's why we are so sane, right?