Bonny Boy

Consider also the historic reasons. Your use of 'Yanks' above being very appropriate. Yankees, the original puritan settlers, had a strong religious inclination towards keeping busy, idle hands doing the devil's work and all. There is a strong aversion to idleness deep within America's psychological make-up, holidays being one such manifestation.

America is best understood in the puritan belief that the world can be made perfect in all respects, with hard work. This in comparison with a watered down European version, and a fatalism evident in many other world cultures.

Longy

I think this must depend on where you are in the country. Around here 3 weeks seems to be entry level.

another bloody yank

I think it's supply and demand. If you need to attract the best and brightest and are in competition with other companies for those people you need to offer the perks. Right now, it's an employer's market, people are just happy to have a job with healthcare and are willing to make concessions on vacation which is kind of a luxury.

At my company, we start at two weeks, get another week after 10 years, a fourth week at 15 years and a fifth at 20.
At least that's the way it was... we were just bought by another company. We'll see if it changes...

Bluegrass Lass

I was offered a position at a company HQ'ed up in Boston. IIRC, it was only 2 weeks for the first 5 years, going up to 3 thereafter. Of course, this was back in 2005 so I suppose this could be slightly diff by now.

In my current position, I have 3 wks off, but that's only because I negotiated it last year. Technically, I would only get 3 wks after working here for 5 years. And would then get 4 wks after 10 years.

Look at it from the employer perspective, let's say you have 4 wks off. They are paying you for 4 wks of work where you aren't producing/doing anything to improve their bottom line. That costs affect their bottom line, and will have to account for it somewhere - very likely in increased cost of the goods or services to the customers. So anywhere an employer can cut indirect costs, they will.

Good luck in your negotiation OP. It's not going to be easy to swing.

christmasoompa

And I'm guessing also it depends on which industry and how desperate they are to attract good people? Everytime my husband has been spoken to somebody about a job in the US he's told them he wouldn't consider less than 5 weeks hols (which is what he's currently on here) - and they've all been perfectly happy with that. In fact a couple he's told he'd want 6 weeks to allow for a trip home each year, and they've agreed that.

But he's in an industry that's desperately short of experienced people so he can state his terms really.

naomi

Generally 2 weeks of vacation is entry level. I think most people who have worked for a little while get more.

Unfortunately that isn't always the case. At my husband's company employees gets 2 weeks off for the first 5 years of employment there. Everyone there has a college degree, and a lot of experience/years in the industry. After 5 years they get 3 weeks off. They get other generous benefits ($1000 to spend on a vacation, college savings fund for kids), but 2 weeks is piddly.
Naomi.

Xebedee

Depending on the way the time is set up, the HR goblins can spin the bennies to sound like the job is its the best thing since sliced bread.
They are, salesmen after all.

In my own work experience here, I have had some combination of all the following:

Shutdown weeks (paid or taken from vac allowance).
~10 days off paid Holidays add'l to vac allowance.
Lumping together of sick time and vac allowance into one amount.
Varying amounts of paid sick time from zero to unlimited.
Personal days (5) add'l to vac and sick time.
Comp time for hrs worked.
Unpaid leave permitted.
Unpaid leave absolutely not permitted.
Vac buy program.
9-80 work schedule (alternating Fridays off).
Vac donation plan (you ask for some from a pool of donated time).

Kaffy Mintcake

Entry level may have been a poor choice of words, I actually meant that most wouldn't only get 2 weeks long-term at their company. (Perhaps for the first five as you've indicated.)

I think others have hit it on the head though that it's likely supply and demand. Around here there are many competing companies, and as someone else said, turnover is expensive.

Bob

Around here, 5 days is considered good...including sick days...

Bob

And that short sighted problem is the issue. Someone that has a decent holiday is more refreshed and more productive v someone that is just showing up doing the hours but accomplishes very little.

It's amazing how France, well most of Europe just hasn't completely collapsed with all those crazy people actually having time off...

Dodgykeeps

I went from 25 days back in the UK to 10 days (and 2 floating) here and wondered how I'd manage with so few. Yet, its now October, and I've still got 5 days to take before the end of the year.
Personally I think 25 days is too many (I ended up staying late to catch up on work that was missed when I was away) but 10 is not enough - somewhere in between, maybe 17, would be about right!

Bob

Thing is, a lot of people don't take it, so company isn't really lossing out, but it's handy, espcially to beef up maternity leave or family bereavement etc, which is also cronically shit in this country on the whole.

Bluegrass Lass

I don't disagree with you Bob. I'd love more time off, but I don't think it'll ever happen in the US. Let's face it, 99% of companies are always going to look at the bottom line, not at the morale of the employees. So if they see a way to cut costs in order to remain competitive, they will.

Xebedee

All the more reason to vote in a soc***ist then.
(word made unclear so as to not offend Americans)

ldobson

IMHO I think it depends on how much you need the job when you are neogotiating your Benefits Package. Personally I would not work for an employer who offers less than 3 weeks of vacation, and any position I have negotiated in the past, I have always negotiated vacation time to exceed that amount.

Put simply, Dont work for a company who premotes 'burn out', to be productive you NEED vacation. Some employers realise this, some dont.