What are your feeling on having a law that creates Mandatory Paid leave (Vacations)?

[daannzzz]

I worked for a small business that had 3 coffee stores (similar to Starbucks and Pete's) but locally owned. They also had a wholesale coffee business that sold to many local restaurants. I started with them in 1989 and started off, as a manager, with two weeks paid vacation and full benefits. After four years I was up to 3 weeks paid vacation and the last two of my ten years there I was up to 4 weeks of paid vacation (one of the reasons I stayed on longer). I do not know how this impacted their bottom line but it sure made us managers grateful and happy.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I think people should be able to take a reasonable amount of time off.

I currently get 17 paid days off per year, plus many oppurtunities for comp days. Sometimes, I get the week between Xmas and New Years off paid as well, but once every few years, I need to cover that week (if I cover and go in to work that week, I get 5 extra days to use the following year). So really I get between 17 and 22 days paid vacation.

Sick days are paid and unlimited, however excessive sick days without doctors notes can hurt your performance review.

There are also paid grief days for funerals and family care days for taking care of a family member who is ill.

I have had 4 sick days this year w/out a doctors note. Two in January because I had the flu and 2 in May because I had a stomach virus.

I also had 3 days off in April with a doctors note because I fell and sprained my leg & foot. I actually could have taken off 7 days but I felt better so I went in.

I'be been working here for 4 years and I THINK I get a reasonable amount of vacation time and that our companies sick/vacation time is fair. Aside from the week after Xmas, all other vacation time may be used whenever you want, with your managers approval.

That all said, I do not think companies should be forced to give paid vacation time. It should be up to the company to decide. I don't like the idea of a government being able to tell a company how to operate. If people do not want to work at a place that does not offer paid vacation time, they can choose to work somewhere else.

 

[PatriciaH]

As a travel agent I have strong feelings about this I think it is pathetic the amount of time workers get off in the US compared to other countries. I firmly beleive it is one (of many) of the reasons families here are falling apart. We work WAY too much. I would NEVER work for a place that made me feel guilty about taking my vacation time. DH and I also ask for more than standard vacation time when we are interviewing. DH got 3 weeks in his current job right off the bat even though some that had been with the company for years had 1 or 2 weeks. I think we should have 5 weeks mandatory in the US.

Wanted to add DH and I have also put ourselves in the position that we can walk away from any job and be fine. This makes it easier for us to say "no way we would stay at a place like that..." I feel bad for people that have to stay at a certain job even if they get treated badly.

I'd rather have a LIFE than a LIVING....

 

[doxdogy]

I can see both sides too. I came from one job that gave you time off based on the amount of service that you had with the company. If I had stayed there and if the company had not been sold, I would be at the 4 weeks a year mark. However, when they sold the company the new company went to PTO (paid time off). You earn so many hours and a payperiod. The company I work for now, I earn 10 hours a month. But, it is used for vacation and/or sick time.

 

[ilovepcot]

This thread has certainly opened my eyes.

 

[ForTheLoveofDisney]

Originally posted by PatriciaH
I'd rather have a LIFE than a LIVING....

ITA

I just want to be able to take more time to spend at my favorite place.

 

[Pugdog007]

Originally posted by TheOtherVillainess
FT..and for what it's worth...nobody gets health benefits either. Not even offered. Part of the reason I want to leave the company I'm at right now is because of the fear of being replaced. Since I have started working there I've seen a higher staff turnover rate than I'd seen in any previous job. Ever. That's why I'm glad I have an interview next week with an office-rental company and another retail business. My job is always at stake when I take a day off. I know my grandmother, goddess bless her, is not long for this world and she knows it too. I am so afraid that if I take off 2-3 days to fly to Knoxville for her funeral, I am so outta there because I can so easily be replaced.

TOV

Are you in AL? Ever done any inside sales?

 

[Charleneluvsdisney]

This is a very interesting thread.

The company that I work for recently went to PTO which turned out awesome for me! I have been with the company 20 years which before allowed me 4 weeks vacation + 9 sick days and 13 paid holidays. With the PTO I am now given 32 days + my 13 paid holidays! Use them or lose them anyway I see fit. I will take everyday that I am given and will never feel guilty about it. We also started cross training so vacations are handled smoothly.

Our company was also suffering from huge turnover and this policy was changed to help with the constant loss. Happy employees are productive employees.

We are also non-profit, so the salararies do not compare with other jobs in the area, so the extra time is the compensation which is fine with me.

 

[TDC Nala]

I sure wouldn't want anybody telling me I HAD to take a vacation and how long it had to be.

 

[chunkster20uk]

Another view from the UK:-

I worked for a small business, and when they started out everyone was entitled to 4 weeks holiday, of which 2 weeks was to be taken at the same time in the summmer and 1 week at Christmas, you had 1 week to spend as you pleased.

This way the company could plan it's production etc a lot better.

As the company grew they stopped closing for two weeks in the summer and only closed at Christmas (which they have stopped doing now) because they have grown and have staff to cover each others positions.


A friend of mine worked in the UK and transfered to the US with his company, to start off with he kept his same benefits and terms and conditions. After a while he had to change, but the basics of it were he while on the UK package he got less salary and more holiday, on the US package he got more salary ad less holiday. He feels that there should be some middle ground.

 

[poohandwendy]

I think there are 2 separate issues here, employees having protection to take an unpaid vacation without repercussions and employers being mandated to pay for vacation time/employees being forced to take X amount of vacation days.

I don't believe that all employers should be forced to pay for workers who are not working, unless there is a good reason like medical leave, for example. I do not see vacation time as a good reason to be paid for time away (unless it is company policy/benefit/perk). But, I DO think employees jobs should be protected if they choose to take 1 or 2 weeks unpaid leave for vacation. To be honest, I have never known anyone whose job has been jeopardized by taking a vacation, with a decent amount of notice.

It is my belief that individuals are responsible for maintaining a balance between work life and down time. I just don't see that as the employers responsibility. JMHO.

 

[Bobbles]

Originally posted by poohandwendy
I think there are 2 separate issues here, employees having protection to take an unpaid vacation without repercussions and employers being mandated to pay for vacation time/employees being forced to take X amount of vacation days.

I don't believe that all employers should be forced to pay for workers who are not working, unless there is a good reason like medical leave, for example. I do not see vacation time as a good reason to be paid for time away (unless it is company policy/benefit/perk). But, I DO think employees jobs should be protected if they choose to take 1 or 2 weeks unpaid leave for vacation. To be honest, I have never known anyone whose job has been jeopardized by taking a vacation, with a decent amount of notice.

It is my belief that individuals are responsible for maintaining a balance between work life and down time. I just don't see that as the employers responsibility. JMHO.

Remind me never to work for you! HA HA!

But seriously folks....

If you think that vacation time should not be an employer-paid benefit, and you have your own business, I would hope that you also do not take any paid vacation.

Federal employees get a fairly good vacation plan.
http://www.cdc.gov/hrmo/csvc_ben.htm#PAID
I know this is CDC but I think it is the same throughout. And our military gets 4 weeks a year from day one.
I also realize this isn't MANDATORY but if they can get it why not those folks employed by small business?

 

[Hilary]

Another UK view from both an employee and employer perspective

I'm a local government employee and, having been employed for over five years, receive six weeks annual paid leave (pro-rata for P/T), plus all the statutory holiday days, plus the medical benefits already described by other UK posters. Local Government jobs are not well paid by UK standards, but the leave entitlement is probably better than average and worse than some.

My DH is one of 11 partners in a medium-sized firm, employing around 70 staff. They are required to pay their employees for leave entitlement, etc., which may hurt the bank balance, but it's built into their financial planning because it's a legal requirment. Yes, it's a cause for concern when there may be several employees all being paid for maternity leave / long-term illness, etc., but that's part and parcel of running your own business in the UK. In very small businesses, it must be much harder to finance, but it still has to be done - and it should be part of the finacial planning for the business in the same way as for any of the large businesses.

...and I'm sorry, but I don't believe anyone should be irreplacable in the work-place. That's bad management, as well as being bad for the employees.

 

[Betsyt82]

My belief is to train your replacement. I also beleive that to work and not to take the time off and play is not healthy for the mind, sprit and body. I may be financially a set back for the profits in some ways but I bet that productivity is higher on those who take vacations and recharge their batteries then the employees who don't.

As for the bosses who make a stink about people taking time off, I bet they are just to inconvienenced to cover for the person who wants time off. I worked for one like that and I refused to let that nitwit have that much control over my personal life and took the time off and still had the job. I always gave plenty of notice, paid or not took the time off.

Vacations are a good thing.

 

[Viking]

I'm a German working for an American Company in Germany. I have 31 days paid vacation per year, my wife who's a nurse in a civic hospital has 29 days. Additionally most contracts in Germany grant you a monetary vacation bonus of about 1/4 to 1/2 of a monthly salary, which is usually paid in the summer.
Employers in Germany know that this time -we call it the 'most precious time of the year'- is required for 'recharging the batteries'. Well-rested and highly motivated employees perform better.
With the economical problems right now in Europe some populists stated that every German should have his paid vacation cut by a week. The President of the Employers and several CEOs of large corporations contradicted hime by saying that paid vacation time won't be touched, because the employees need to have that time to take off the strain and get back to work in the best shape possible and highly motivated.
I could change to our American headquarters anytime, but I would have to go down to two weeks vacation - No way, Sir!!!!
Over here I have my 31 days, which is good for more than six weeks (5 days per week), and I usually extend this to seven weeks by clever use of holidays and using saved up overtime. I.e. this year I spent a week in London in March/April, 10 days at the Baltic Sea in June, will do four weeks in the USA and on Disney Cruiseline in September/October and a week around Xmas (Destination not yet known).

When you're in Human Resources in Germany and you're calculating how much manpower your need for a certain task, you just hav to add a 30%-margin to all the hours to cover for vacation, sick-time, training, business travel, etc. Meaning that if you need 10 people for a job, you have to hire 13, because 3 will always be away - I wish I could be one of the three

 

[Maleficent13]

Originally posted by Bobbles
If you think that vacation time should not be an employer-paid benefit, and you have your own business, I would hope that you also do not take any paid vacation.

Federal employees get a fairly good vacation plan.
http://www.cdc.gov/hrmo/csvc_ben.htm#PAID
I know this is CDC but I think it is the same throughout. And our military gets 4 weeks a year from day one.
I also realize this isn't MANDATORY but if they can get it why not those folks employed by small business?

Re: your first statement: I have run a small business myself, and believe me, I couldn't even take an UNPAID vacation, let alone a PAID vacation. Besides, if you own the business, it's sort of a moot point. Most small business owners I know don't pay themselves a regular salary.

I still think it's up to the employee to take care of their personal life, not the employer. If, as the OP stated, these employees she refers to are granted the time off, then they need to take it. Caving and staying at work because you're afraid is a good way to make sure that you're always treated that way.

 

[ForTheLoveofDisney]

Originally posted by Viking
Employers in Germany know that this time -we call it the 'most precious time of the year'- is required for 'recharging the batteries'. Well-rested and highly motivated employees perform better.
With the economical problems right now in Europe some populists stated that every German should have his paid vacation cut by a week. The President of the Employers and several CEOs of large corporations contradicted hime by saying that paid vacation time won't be touched, because the employees need to have that time to take off the strain and get back to work in the best shape possible and highly motivated.

ITA

I sure wouldn't want anybody telling me I HAD to take a vacation and how long it had to be.

I don't understand people who don't what to take time away, you're just hurting yourself.
Don't ever forget what a friend once wrote Senator Paul Tsongas when the senator decided not to run for reelection because he had been diagnosed with cancer: "No man ever said on his deathbed, 'I wish I had spent more time at the office.'"

 

[Maleficent13]

Originally posted by ForTheLoveofDisney
I don't understand people who don't what to take time away, you're just hurting yourself.

But as you said, it is myself I am "hurting", and who are you to say I can't if I want to?

 

[poohandwendy]

Originally posted by Bobbles
Remind me never to work for you! HA HA!

But seriously folks....

If you think that vacation time should not be an employer-paid benefit, and you have your own business, I would hope that you also do not take any paid vacation.

Federal employees get a fairly good vacation plan.
http://www.cdc.gov/hrmo/csvc_ben.htm#PAID
I know this is CDC but I think it is the same throughout. And our military gets 4 weeks a year from day one.
I also realize this isn't MANDATORY but if they can get it why not those folks employed by small business?

a) you won't ever need to worrry about working for me as I have no interest in owning a business, lol.
b) I, for one, never said that paid vacation shouldn't be an employer paid benefit, I said it shouldn't be a mandated, paid benefit. I believe it should be up to the employer to make that decision.
c) Do you also feel that employers should never take a higher pay cut than their employees?

 

[Galahad]

Another vote for the government staying out of it.

But I do believe that our cultural view of "work" (read - on-the-job) is not particularly healthy.