Vacation Time

[laurence]

Well, I'll call this poll a failure.!

I guess people interested in ER will also make sure they work jobs where time off is a major factor as well. I have a lot of friends who just have two weeks.

You definitely need to use it, you can't wind back the clock!

 

[justin]

I've recently started working and I'm saving up my vacation time for now to a large extent. I figure I never know when I'll need to go on a month long vacation to some corner of the world. It'll be nice knowing I can do that pretty much whenever. (fairly flexible job).

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

What is a 'vacation'?

I am a contract engineer. No workee, no eatee. The last time I took a vacation froma real job, I was sacked when I got back.

I get to go home when
a) everyone else goes home (e.g., Xmas), and only if
b) when work is not pressing.

But, the pay is good (30 years in the business impresses the rubes) and at this present shop they treat us decently.

Cheers,

Ed (there is a reason for this monicker) The Gypsy

 

[laurence]

Geez, look at all the six weeks votes! And despite that, we are all still saving enough to ER! Anyone ever feel like we are debating the needs of the poor in the marble halls of the Roman Senate?

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

The last time I had a good vacation policy was 4 weeks off, when I was in the Army. Many times since I have wished I had stayed in.

Ed

 

[dunc0029]

I work in a large corporation and we get 180 hrs/yr PTO, which is 4.5 weeks. After 10 years, you get another 40/yr and after 25, you get another 40/yr. We also get 7 holidays and 2 floating holidays.

I always stay close to being maxed out @ 7+ weeks. For one, it gives me an excuse to request a week off for no real reason once in a while ( use it or lose it ). Second, I consider it an extra severance account. We get paid for all unused PTO when we leave ( voluntarily or not ).

Jason

 

[Ginger]

15 vacation days
10 sick days
9 paid holidays

 

[MJ]

Last 5 years of my employment, due to the lack of pressure at my job and the fact I never enjoyed the 1 or 2 week escape vacations, I cashed in my yearly 3 week vacation for hard currency.

 

[Outtahere]

I have 6 weeks vacation and a week sickpay. Do I take it all? I try but it ends up I hold a week over every year so I have 7 weeks. We aren't allowed to carry over sick time so if you don't use it you lose it. I've been trying to get that changed but with no luck and of course the mentality is if I'm going to lose it I'm going to use it. The last job I had gave you a vacation day for every 3 days of sick time you didn't lose. Can't seem to get that one going either.

Oh and we are only allowed to hold over one week of vacation or you lose that too.

Cj

 

[KB]

With my final job I had 5 weeks vacation, 8 or 9 holidays and unlimited sick leave of which I only took a few days each year.

They had the 'use it or lose it' policy on vacation, but that was not a problem for me. I ALWAYS wanted to take vacation since I was tired of working and close to ER.

My first job with a big corporation had specific hours of PTO based on the number of years people had been with the company. I'm sure I only started out with 2 weeks vacation.

 

[yelnad]

I work for a University. I get:

12 days sick
24 days vacation
1 personal day
10 holidays

I also get free funeral leave, if the need arises. That's 9+ weeks if I were to use it all. I probably use 2-3 weeks a year, and save the rest to carry over. I'm "banking" it for maternity leave.

 

[Ginger]

We receive 10 sick days per year. Whatever amount of days we do not use, we receive one-half in pay. I don't ususally use more than 1 or 2 days a year, so take the check and buy an airline ticket to visit the grandchildren. Nice treat...

 

[astromeria]

At my last job, employees started with 3 weeks of vacation, 8 holidays, 3 floating holidays--and no sick days. We got 4 weeks of vacation after 4 years--that was the max. After the big software downturn, new employees started at 2 weeks of vacation, and got 3 weeks after 2 years. In 2004, we lost all the floating holidays as well.

At my previous job, we started with 3 weeks of vacation, with 4 weeks after 5 years and 5 weeks after 10. Every 6 years, you got a 4 week paid sabbatical, too. Plus 10 holidays, 2 floating holidays, and 5 sick days.

 

[needtoretireearly]

PAID time off?

I get two weeks UNPAID time off. I am a commission only employee!!!!

 

[retire@40]

PAID time off? 
I get two weeks UNPAID time off.  I am a commission only employee!!!!

You don't get unpaid time off, you just get time off. Your vacation pay is built into your regular commission pay.

 

[Calgary_Girl]

3 weeks vacation
12 paid holidays
5 CONSECUTIVE sick days (anything longer and I need a Dr.'s note). I don't believe there's a cap on the total number of sick days throughout the year however.

 

[Glo]

4 weeks vacation
8 holidays
1 floating holiday
5 sick days
2 personal days

Its never enough; my vacation days are always in the red (we're allowed to "borrow"). I do take the sick days, sick or not.

 

[needtoretireearly]

You don't get unpaid time off, you just get time off.  Your vacation pay is built into your regular commission pay.

That is a great way to look at it!!!!

And really, I future bill many customer invoices as they need for their budget.  There is always business I get paid on which has been futured into my vacation period. It just works out that way.

So really I get paid something during my vacation time, depending on how many invoices have been futured into that pay period.

 

[Bruce]

23 days to start
28 days after three years
33 days after seven years

Can carry over up to 33 days to next year.

11 holidays! 8)

Its never enough!

 

[maggieddd]

I am always jealous of the Europeans. I get 22 PTO, 14 sick days, 4 personal days, 4 funeral days and, 11 holidays, whenever I travel for more than a month and think I've got a lot of time off I get really dissapointed when I talk to Europeans. Some of them get 2 months, some 3 months and that all carries over when you change jobs so you don't have to worry. Everyone is entitled to time off and 2 weeks is really a joke. Why do we have to be such slaves? I thought we were sophisticated That really sucks. Ohh also some of them have mandatory time off.

 

[F M All]

I am always jealous of the Europeans.  I get 22 PTO, 14 sick days, 4 personal days, 4 funeral days and, 11 holidays, whenever I travel for more than a month and think I've got a lot of time off I get really dissapointed when I talk to Europeans.  Some of them get 2 months, some 3 months and that all carries over when you change jobs so you don't have to worry.  Everyone is entitled to time off and 2 weeks is really a joke.  Why do we have to be such slaves?  I thought we were sophisticated   That really sucks.  Ohh also some of them have mandatory time off. 

Don't know which nation in Europe you are talking about but this is not generally true. In my experience the southern states of Germany (e.g.Bavaria) have some of the largest allocations of days - up to 25 PTO, plus Saints days, plus public holidays, but no "sick days" except days taken when genuinely sick supported by evidence e.g. doctor's note. Single sick days are frequently logges as vacation days to avoid the bureaucracy. Often bonuses are reduced when sick days are taken, another reason to take vacation instead.

How about Australia where the Govt. and many employers give 3 months leave for long term employees - good for trips to see distant relatives?

 

[maggieddd]

Don't know which nation in Europe you are talking about but this is not generally true. In my experience the southern states of Germany (e.g.Bavaria) have some of the largest allocations of days - up to 25 PTO, plus Saints days, plus public holidays, but no "sick days" except days taken when genuinely sick supported by evidence e.g. doctor's note. Single sick days are frequently logges as vacation days to avoid the bureaucracy. Often bonuses are reduced when sick days are taken, another reason to take vacation instead.

How about Australia where the Govt. and many employers give 3 months leave for long term employees - good for trips to see distant relatives?

Well, the French have one time 1 year off and then they have 2 months per year. It does depend where you work. In Poland you get a month off no matter where you work and it carries accross the board. Everyone gets that no matter where you work and you don't loose anything when you go from one employer to another. In general they have more time to enjoy life as opposed to us whose life revolves around our work.

 

[Spanky]

3 weeks vacation
14 sick days
2 personal holidays
13 holidays
1 week shutdown