nettlebed

That depends on the job: all three jobs I've had here have been salaried jobs, and exempt from any overtime payment, and I believe many, if not most, technical and managerial jobs are like that. If you get paid hourly then overtime can be claimed. I get time off in lieu, but it's a strictly informal arrangement.

Some employers are more abusive than others (there really are places like Initech with people like Bill Lumbergh) who treat their employees very badly in this respect, but other places are much more enlightened (like the place I work now). My guess, though, is that the bad places far outnumber the good ones...

Jerseygirl

Same with my husband...but those sort of deals are very rare.

tonrob

I'm salaried, and working for an employer who I feel is very reasonable and people-oriented compared to some of the stories I read on here. I get time off in lieu via an informal arrangement if I work whole extra days (e.g. holidays or weekends) but I am not compensated at all for extra hours worked on normal work days.

Bob

Some of that does depend on the state, CA is surprisingly one of the good ones there, where even tech salaried people can get over time, but it's about managerial responsibilities as well as over all salary I think.

nettlebed

The rule of thumb we use where I work is get your job done, don't take the piss, and if there's ever a real crisis, work with your manager and/or HR to get it sorted out. For example, someone in one of the teams I manage is an Egyptian citizen, and has family in Alexandria. I told him that if he needs to get on a plane at no notice, just call me from an airport when he gets a chance, and we'll get it sorted out later.

It works very well, and if someone DOES take the piss, well that's when they're told that they need to meet certain attendance requirements, and if they don't, it becomes formalized as a performance issue that needs dealing with, and there are defined procedures for that.

scrubbedexpat091

When I was in a union with an airline we received 1-4 weeks off each year depending on how long you were with the company. We operated 365 days a year, so there were no holidays off unless they happened to fall on your day off, but we were paid an extra 8 hours on holidays.

So work 8 hours, paid for 16.

In retail, we got no vacation time, but we did receive Thanksgiving and Christmas off.

At Marriott we got 80 hours a year paid time off roughly.

Deutschmaster

I think it depends on where you are as well. I get 20 days down under (I'm joining in because I'm thinking of taking a job in the States) and I don't feel the need to take so many holidays compared to the UK because I can jump in my car and go somewhere nice for the weekend. In the UK I would go to Europe on lots of breaks, which would mean 1 or 2 days holiday needed.

I save my holiday up for the Christmas and Easter periods and do somethign major over it.

Bob

I think the problem in the US, and this is a massive generalisation, but a lot of people don't really do the big 1-2 weeks holiday away, it's a lot more of the 3 day weekend, taking a day before or after the weekend, timed with a public holiday if they get that off.

A lot of time is wasted on sick leave, and for stupid stuff like waiting around home for the cable man to fix something kind of deal than really having a holiday.

callowman

In florida I get 7 paid public holidays (Of which my company "expect" me to work 2 of them) giving me just 5
no one is clear tho if Expect means mandatory or it would be nice -either way not many at all
and a lot of companies now like mine do not have a sick policy
you just accrue holiday hours every paycheck (I get 6 hours) which works out
to nearly 4 weeks a year however if u get sick and your off 3 weeks or more-be prepared to wipe out all your holiday time even with a doc note

I hate it

Orangepants

One of the many great things about working in the Cayman Islands (in finance) is the 4 weeks holiday, the bank holidays, of which the CI Govt is fond of throwing a new one in each year, and the 10 sick days a year. It appeared customary to add these sick days to your holiday allowance - hence 40 days a year!!

Derrygal

It's the same where I work - our sick time and vacation time is all together so if you get really sick (say with the flu) it can take a huge chunk out of your vacation time. I actually work with someone who had a vacation booked to Vegas and she got really sick - had to use her "banked time" and didn't have enough days left for her vacation - had paid for it, but couldn't go!! I always try to have a lot of time banked, just in case.

callowman

Do they need Network Engineers out in the Caymans ????

pejpm1

I get 20 days standard (in fact, 21 this year due to new years day falling on a saturday, but they didnt want to 'recognise' it on the monday so they gave us and extra day off), plus 5 sick days, and 2 'personal days'. I think thats pretty good by American standards.

MarylandNed

I depends on the job. I actually get more than your 25 days.

SEL_boy

Truth. When we lived in London we used to come over here for three or four weeks at a time, on the basis that it costs a lot and it's a long way, so why not make the most of it.
Now we live here in the States, when I book a week-long trip home I am looked at as if I am planning a six month sabbatical.

This is one of my main gripes about living here. Yes, I make more money than I did in London, and have a nicer house and car, but I (and pretty much everybody I know) spend all the hours at work to pay for it, and taking any time off is seen as something between hedonism and slacking.

They don't seem to realise WHY they should be working here. All they do is buy stuff and then buy more stuff. Accumulation. The old 'the person with the most toys, wins' thing.

Sorry, went off on one then.