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

[poohandwendy]

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

It is my opinion that people who do not 'want' to take time away wouldn't benefit, in the re-charging ways mentioned, from mandated time off anyways.

 

[caitycaity]

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

some people have both. why should the government tell them what they can and cannot do? it should be up to the individual to manage their own life, not the government.

i asked a bunch of questions in a previous post. i'd like for someone who is in favor of government intervention on this issue to take a stab at answering them. you can't have your cake and eat it too. something like this very well might mean higher taxes, or something else that many people find unfavorable.

as to the poster in the uk who was deterred from coming to the us because of vacation policies, i think a lot of employers will negotiate with senior employees in terms of how much time you get (they do at my company). i am a senior junior person (LOL), and i get my company's standard package, which sounds pretty similar to what you get. (i have 4 weeks paid vacation and will get more the longer i have been here. 9 paid holidays. 8 sick days that can be used whenever i want for whatever reason. i also have short-term and long-term disability coverage, and the ability to take unpaid leave if necessary).

 

[poohandwendy]

While we are talking socialism, which we are, IMO. Why not instead, make a mandate requiring that people can only have a carry a percentage of debt? THAT, in my humble opinion, would go further in creating less-stressed workers than paid vacation...

 

[caitycaity]

It is my opinion that people who do not 'want' to take time away wouldn't benefit, in the re-charging ways mentioned, from mandated time off anyways.

i totally agree. my dad is a great example. he is very passionate about his job. he views it as his life work and believes he is making a difference. even while on most vacations, he still does some work, and he enjoys it. working actually energizes my dad. if he sits around with nothing to do, he gets grumpy.

 

[Galahad]

(i have 5 weeks paid vacation and will get more the longer i have been here. 9 paid holidays. 8 sick days that can be used whenever i want for whatever reason.

That's great! That's a LOT of time off.....certainly on the high end for U.S. companies.

 

[caitycaity]

Originally posted by Galahad
That's great! That's a LOT of time off.....certainly on the high end for U.S. companies.

i typod. it should be 4 weeks.

but after reading several of the "what are your benefits like?" threads here, it seems like most full-time white collar employees get about 3-4 weeks vacation time. i realize everyone isn't a full-time or white collar employee, though.

i've worked part-time and non-white collar jobs. it's just my very fervant belief that the government should not be meddling inpeople's business on this issue.

i'd still like someone to address my questions.

 

[Galahad]

That's still great. I am a "senior" person at my company and definitely white-collar. I get 2 weeks vacation and 5 sick days a year. It will be another 2 year before I will get a third week. I am not able to "buy" extra time. This seems to be the norm rather than the exception.

 

[poohandwendy]

LOL, I am a peon and get no paid sick/vacation/holidays days per year. My choice.

But, I do take the days off I need, I work for my best friend (small business owner). She couldn't pay me to take her job.

 

[caitycaity]

Originally posted by Galahad
That's still great. I am a "senior" person at my company and definitely white-collar. I get 2 weeks vacation and 5 sick days a year. It will be another 2 year before I will get a third week. I am not able to "buy" extra time. This seems to be the norm rather than the exception.

perhaps it is regional. in the dc area, there is so much competition for good employees that employers here have to give more?

i don't know. but i do know all of my friends and dh get approximately the same as i do (or better).

 

[poohandwendy]

there is so much competition for good employees that employers here have to give more?

and, IMO, THAT is what should regulate the workplace. Competition.

 

[jrydberg]

DC is a great area for that. Businesses that don't offer excellent benefits can't compete for workers in this area. I get a generous benefits package in all respects.

 

[poohandwendy]

btw, Caity, I would answer your questions, but I am in agreement with you so the 'yep's' would be sort of redundant...I'll post them again for the opposition who may have missed them:

the problem is, what about people who like their job? what about people who don't WANT to take vacation every year? what about the people i know who bank their vacation so that they can spend 2-3 weeks with their families who are outside of the US? what about small businesses who can only afford to give their employees a week or 2 off/year? will we have the government subsidize businesses who can't afford the government minimums?

 

[caitycaity]

Originally posted by poohandwendy
btw, Caity, I would answer your questions, but I am in agreement with you so the 'yep's' would be sort of redundant...I'll post them again for the opposition who may have missed them:

thanks

and, IMO, THAT is what should regulate the workplace. Competition.

 

[katerkat]

Originally posted by Bobbles
And our military gets 4 weeks a year from day one.

No, they don't. The days have to be earned - you make it sound like the day DH signed up, he had his 30 days waiting.

AND - the military still doesn't just let them take the days. DH wasn't allowed to take a vacation for 18 months. When he had weekends off, the military wouldn't let him go further than 100 miles from the base. Now that he's getting ready to deploy, he's not allowed to leave the county. All those vacation days sit there, useless.

 

[Galahad]

Originally posted by katerkat
No, they don't. The days have to be earned - you make it sound like the day DH signed up, he had his 30 days waiting.

AND - the military still doesn't just let them take the days. DH wasn't allowed to take a vacation for 18 months. When he had weekends off, the military wouldn't let him go further than 100 miles from the base. Now that he's getting ready to deploy, he's not allowed to leave the county. All those vacation days sit there, useless.

This is true. More often than not they have to take much of their leave as terminal leave and get paid out at the end of their service. Further, in many MOS's, it will take 7 days of vacation to get a 7 day week off, not 5 days vacation as we civilians have.

 

[katerkat]

Originally posted by Galahad
Further, in many MOS's, it will take 7 days of vacation to get a 7 day week off, not 5 days vacation as we civilians have.

Oh, yeah, I forgot that. I remember trying to plan a trip... "If we leave just after midnight on Monday and get back just before five p.m. on Friday..."

 

[JimB.]

This is true. More often than not they have to take much of their leave as terminal leave and get paid out at the end of their service.

Dead on.

When I left active duty, I had 2 YEARS worth of leave on the books that I had not had the opportunity to use.

and, IMO, THAT is what should regulate the workplace. Competition.

 

[ErikdaRed]

It might be better if the government didn't mandate how much vacation, but did protect by law the right to take it. If I want to take a week of my vacation whenever, I shouldn't lose my job because of it. If this means that every job needs to be triple covered by a company, so be it.

 

[Maleficent13]

Originally posted by ErikdaRed
It might be better if the government didn't mandate how much vacation, but did protect by law the right to take it. If I want to take a week of my vacation whenever, I shouldn't lose my job because of it. If this means that every job needs to be triple covered by a company, so be it.

If your company's policies include vacation for employees, and you avail yourself of that vacation, and you get fired for doing so, then I think you would have a pretty good case for wrongful termination in civil court.

 

[Galahad]

Originally posted by Maleficent13
If your company's policies include vacation for employees, and you avail yourself of that vacation, and you get fired for doing so, then I think you would have a pretty good case for wrongful termination in civil court.

But it would be very hard to prove. This is really a pretty common practice. "Give" you 2 or 3 weeks vacation on paper, but not give you the opportunity to take it. I only get 2 weeks of vacation a year and I'll be "rolling over" a week because I can't get the second week approved.