How many days does the average American take off from work per year?

[Sarah_Rose]

DH has 3 weeks paid vacation and 5 sick/personal days. He takes every one of those - his work encourages employees to use their personal days before they expire at the end of the year. DH worked at home when he was sick, so he had several weeks of 2 day weeks at the end of the year.

He also took 3 weeks unpaid parental leave after our DS was born in August.

 

[tvguy]

that.

In fact, because of that the system ended up instating a rule that if you take more than 15 days off in a row you need a doctors note

That is amazing, I've worked for 3 private sector companies over the past 35 years, and all 3 required a doctor's note after 5 consecutive days sick in a row. Now if you are sick more than 5 days, they put you on temporary disability.

 

[GAGirlInVA]

DH gets 26 pto days a year... he'll get more when he hits the next level of service, which is 10 years.

 

[ThisIsJason]

That is amazing, I've worked for 3 private sector companies over the past 35 years, and all 3 required a doctor's note after 5 consecutive days sick in a row. Now if you are sick more than 5 days, they put you on temporary disability.

My work is the same. Up to 5 days and you need a note anything after that is temporary disability.

Who knows. My mom works for a weird private school system. I guess they just trust the teachers to be honest.

 

[WDWBarb]

Highly stressful job that requires a lot of availability ... I took off 8 days last year, 5 the year before and none the year before that. I hope to take my allowed 3 weeks this year.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

I really depends on where you are in your career and the type of work that you do. When I was younger, I took almost no vacation. Heck, for a stretch of about 10 years, I probably took no more than a few days off - total. I am older and have family obligations - and I am at a totally different point in my career, so I take vacations. I have 4 weeks/yr plus 3 personal days. I took 16 days of those 23 days last year and will probably take about the same this year.

 

[goofyernmost]

Now that I am retired, I would have to say about 365 days. Maybe more on leap years. Come to think of it that is how many days I thought we should have off when I was working...it's just that they didn't let me.

 

[Uuaww]

Federal Gov't here.
I get 13 days a year annual (vacation) leave [4 hours a pay period]
I also get 13 days a year sick leave [4 hours a pay period]
Comp time is available if I work too much OT or extended travel, etc.

If I am out more than 3 days straight on sick leave, I need a Dr. note
After 3 years in service I move up to 19.5 days a year of annual leave, after 15 years, 23 days a year. (For annual leave only, not sick)

Max amount held is 360 hours for myself (due to location) but in general it is 240 hours, then you go into use or lose.


And I hate it when people say Gov't employees get too much time off (I've heard it). I think its just right and the private sector doesn't give enough! Americans need more time off and the SHOULD take it. Not taking vacation leave sounds awful and dumb.

 

[bdcp]

I'm also a federal employee but we do not need a note for missing more than 3 days on sick leave. That used to be the policy years ago, but no longer. I have more than 15 years of service so I earn the top amount of annual leave. Everyone gets the same amount of sick leave.

I get 5.2 weeks of annual leave and 2.5 weeks of sick leave every year. I usually take 4 or so weeks of annual leave and hardly any sick. Last year was the first time I took an entire week off using sick leave because I had food poisoning. Usually I end up taking a couple of days for sick for Dr. appts as I'm rarely sick enough to stay home. It's why I have 11 weeks of sick leave saved up currently. I currently have about 1.5 weeks of annual leave saved. This is all from a job I've been in for almost 14 years. Plus I get all federal holidays.


DH gets 4 weeks of leave per year to be used for sick and vacation. He also gets federal holidays.

Sick leave is meant to be used when you are sick or have appts or family members do. It's not to be taken for vacation time. It can be seen as abuse and can get someone investigated for time fraud.

I agree it's about where you are also. My DS (27) has about 6 weeks of leave saved up, but doesn't have the extra money to really go on vacation. My DS (24) only has about 4 days of leave currently and uses his randomly for day trips or when he feels like taking a day off. Neither earn sick leave so they need it for that also.

 

[Minnesota!]

This year I get 33.5 paid days off. Thats combining my 90.5 hours of personal and my 4w + of vacation.

And I take them all.

I usually end up having to call in sick once or twice a year - always for a child.

And then we take a vacation in winter where I take 6 - 7 days off, a summer vacation with the same time off, and then a few long weekends here and there.

 

[Donnainnj]

SAHM here I rarely get a day off. DH gets 9 or 10 holidays, 5 personal/floaters and currently 15 days (3 weeks) of vacation. Last year he was at the job for 10 years, for that anniversary they give an extra week. He can carry one week over each year and usually does. This last year because of the extra week and carrying a week plus work needing him for special projects he ended up being allowdays in a row. Things will change in about a year and a half as the co he works for now lost the ed to carry 2 weeks. So he took holidays, and 3 weeks of his per/floaters. He works from home 3 days a week, so he rarely takes a sick day, just works from home when he isn't feeling well. He also gets comp time if he is doing a lot of weekends and OT, but rarely takes it. They go on short term disability if they are out more then 3 days in a row. Things will change in about 1 1/2 years. His current employer recently lost the contract for the IT work he does. The new contract holder interviewed them all, and he was hired, so then he will keep his time served, but go with the new employers rules. If all goes as planned he will then get 4 weeks vacation at that time (12+ years) instead of waiting until 15 at the current employer.
Donna

 

[Pig Pen]

I usually take about 3 to 4 weeks a year for vacations...generally a week in the winter, a week in the summer, and a week in the fall. I may take a few long weekends or extra days to extend a paid holiday (if Christmas is on a Thurs, I may take Friday to go with it).

That being said, last year I went to WDW in April for a long weekend, took two days off in June with family visitors, went to WDW for 10 days in July, took an extra day in November to go with Veterans Day.

I have called in sick one day in the past year.

My DH is a state employee and he has over 2000 hours of sick time available. He accrues 6.5 hours of vacation and 6.5 hours of sick time every two weeks. Plus he gets comp. time for working holidays as he is an "essential" employee and doesn't get holidays off unless they fall on his normal day off. My family says he takes the most time off of anyone they have ever known...and he still has tons of time left!

 

[doxdogy]

I receive two weeks of vacation and five sick days. None of the days carryover, so I use every single one of them.

 

[dwelty]

I get 6 30 days of PTO a year. To be used as sick or vacation days. My company gives us the week between Christmas and New Years off. We also get 6 holidays off a year. I have worked for the same company for 17 years. It has taken a while to get to this point. I take about 5 weeks a year off. I keep a week in reserve to take off a day here and there for activities with my Kids. My wife is a stay at home mom, so I do not have to use any days for kids sick days. I consider myself pretty lucky to work for a great company, but I work hard for them as well.

 

[aprilgail2]

I have called in sick one day in the past year.

!

LOL---its only Jan. and I called off once sick and took one personal day already- I HATE snow and if it snows I take at least that first day of the snowstorm off..

 

[lovingthemouse]

Considering retirement this June after 34 yrs of teaching - have 226.9 sick days which I will only get 15% per day for. I know, should have taken more off but I come from the old "work ethic" era.
When my husband was ill and the kids were, I did take the time - now time for me in late May, when I am taking mental health days.

 

[disneychrista]

LOL---its only Jan. and I called off once sick and took one personal day already.

I have taken 1 personal day (1/21) and two vacation days (1/28 & 1/31).

I take an average of 3 days off each month just to keep me under the limit for continued accrual. I hate the idea of losing accrual because I didn't take time off.

 

[mrodgers]

I've been with my employer for 15 years, since the 4th month of it's existence.

We (those of us who've been there 15 years) now get 4 weeks vacation and 3 sick. We are able to sell back the 3 sick at the end of the year and up to 2 weeks of vacation.

When I first started, I worked a 12 hour schedule.

4 nights on, 3 off. 3 days on, 1 off
3 nights on, 3 off. 4 days on, 7 off

So I had a whole week off every month that was built into getting 40 hours per week (36 hours plus 40 hours and 8 overtime for the pay period.)

Back then, I was single and had a week off every month anyways, I rarely took vacation time and sold majority of it back and always sold my sick time back.

Now I'm married, work steady 5 day /week daylight, and I have kids who are sick constantly and at least one trip to the hospital overnight every winter. I have house projects in the summer, and we just went on our first vacation as a family last year (2 vacations actually, Disney and the beach.) So now I take all my vacation and sick time, which is 4 weeks and 3 days sick.

 

[Minnesota!]

I forgot to add that I also have 560 hours of sick time. I can start using that if I am out for more than 5 consecutive days...

 

[QT Pooh]

I'll start this off by saying I work for a company headquartered in France, and I have worked there for 23 years. I get 6 weeks off for vacation, 7 holidays and 2 floating holidays off per year. I take it all off because if I don't, I lose it.