How about you just get a job you enjoy with a boss that values your personal life. And this graph sucks. What's legal and what's actual are two completely different things. I think we just enjoy work more. Most of the world has been taught that work is something to hate and I don't think American's buy it, no matter how much we as a whole bitch.
But what if you have a job you like, and are lucky enough to have a boss that values your personal life? No, most Americans don't enjoy work more. And it's not about hating work, which most Americans are taught that the world does. It's about getting good vacation time.
Yes, but they are strongly correlated. With all due respect, that's a steaming pile of rubbish and you know it.
I mean in the end, if you would have mandatory paid vacation, those who really enjoy working could still work during that time, like do work projects at home or just work around the house and garden. Everybody would win.
Most of the people I know don't hate their jobs, and those that do simply look for another job. You make is sound like the reason we have a lot of vacation is because or jobs are Hell?
You may not hate them but you don't like them like we do. You also have a lot of vacation because you are lazy. Honestly, where I am right now I have 30 days and it's a complete waste.
They are not lazy. Actually many European country's productivity rate is near or higher than America's. Just because people don't identify themselves solely through their career, and work 12 hours a day, and refuse to accept low benefits doesn't make them lazy. That's the worst stereotype that has been perpetrated by the American media.
We are not lazy. We are more productive by the hour than you Yanks. You lot just like to spend a lot more time at work than we do. Although in a way it makes sense that by the hour efficacy goes down with prolonged working hours.
I disagree. I have no problem finding things to do in my vacation. It's not all spent on trips abroad or just doing nothing either.
I worked for an American company briefly (which gave only 80 hours holiday per year) and whenever a 3-day weekend was coming up people there would look forward to it 3 weeks in advance! Needless to say I left that job and went to one with 30 days vacation/year and everyone was jealous! US is just like everywhere else. People relish days off. You could always get a hobby. Having some balance in one's life isn't such a bad thing.
Well, as it stands now I have about 5 bigger hobbies, and I would not like to give up any of them (and that would happen if I would work on American hours, esp if you fit in a family in the long run). I think what it also comes down to is that life also influences American lifes differently. You are at a loss in the states if you don't get along with your coworkers, and often your social life is based around them, whereas in Europe you'd try to keep your private and work spheres more apart, ie you look for friends more through hobbies or your neighbours (not saying nobody here has coworkers as friends, or that people don't care whether they get along with thier coworkers or not, or that Americans don't get friends through hobbies or neighbours, but the emphasis is different). This also means that Europeans in general are more reluctant to relocate, since it will be harder to find new friends.
The greatest quality of life improvement I have experienced in the workplace was the institution of compressed work schedules where I received a 3-day weekend every other week. The change in my outlook towards my job was dramatic.
Yeah I wish I could do that. Either that or work from home once a week. Anything to reduce the commuting routine.
Im down 1 month a year for all Americans. Split it up any way you like or sell it back to your employer. Though, your employer should have the right to refuse days if not enough notice is givern but also suggest that you sell your vacation if they really need you. I think part timers should get some paid leave as well.
If you hate work and want more time off..............become a teacher Some (yes SOME) of the many benefits include....... - GOLD PLATED pensions - unlimited sick days - free gas - Union backing (in case you are a crummy teacher) - part time work (7am -1:30pm) - all summers off - complimentary computers and software - free healthcare - Unions support against any disciplinary action - Free lunch - Retirement age after 30 years of "service" to the community. Can be as young as 51 to move to Florida and cash free government checks for the rest of your life (Pritchard Alabama and Vallejo California not included)
having lived and worked both systems, i agree with this. my brothers work 70 hour weeks but a lot of that seems to be just hanging around the workplace to win the willy wave at barbecues. that's one thing americans do right though: here we just lose legal holidays when they fall on the weekend... like xmas & new year this year. your turn to be jealous: i get 46! outwave that!
No freaking kidding. Even if I just do all of my errands/chores on that day, it really frees up a ton of time. It's also likely to cap my career progression, because I'm going to be really, really reluctant to give it up.
i used to hoard all the days i could in a kind of savings account. it did let me take 6 months off to let the kids see what real life in the states (as opposed to a 2 week lark at grandma's) was like, and to sell days back at a nice premium every so often, but now i take lots (and lots) of 3 (4) days, and life is beeeeeautiful. the best part is spending days just with my wife. it turns out we still DO love each other!* career progression? that's for LOSERS! * get your mind out of the gutter son, that's not what i mean.
I work in print journalism. I have to say that, since we all know they're in the shitter. That being said ... Year 1: 1 week vacation, 2 personal days Year 2-4: 2 weeks vacation, 2 personal days Year 5-14: 3 weeks vacation, 3 personal days Year 15-: 4 weeks vacation, 3 personal days That being said, our company furloughed everyone 1 week every quarter last year. Let me tell you, losing a month's pay was hard. REAL hard. But having 20 extra days off was fantastic. Even though we all had to work our asses off to cover for everyone who was off. And no, I didn't take off on lots of vacations (just 1), but having the extra time off from work really helped me recharge. I think I'd rather work harder and have more time off than go through a painfully slow quarter with just my normal vacation.
No job is perfect, teaching sure does have benefits, but the ones you list below are a joke! Or at a very minimum VERY location dependant. My wife's a teacher, has been for years.... - GOLD PLATED pensions Umm, far from it. Many career teachers cannot retire on their pension alone, espcially if they ahve not commited extra into it. this one is VERY state dependandt, in MA, just down the road, the retirement is MUCH better. - unlimited sick days Not unlimited, but they do get lots, to many I feel. Every sick day they take, costs the school money since now they have to hire a sub. - free gas Unless you mean the farts coming out of the 8th graders she teaches, never heard of this one. Free gas? Really? Where? - Union backing (in case you are a crummy teacher) Well ya there is this and to much, once you're tenured, it's damn near impossible to get rid of them, and when staff positions are eliminated via budget cuts, they often go 100% by seniority, for example my wife's school is losing a special ed position, they are dropping the first year hire, despite everyone pretty much agreeing he's the best. - part time work (7am -1:30pm) Them's short hours!, but they don't work the "normal" hours, at least by contract, and many do cut it short. However you are ignoring the MANY hours spent planning and grading done at home. My wife, more often than not, spends a couple hours a night grading papers. - all summers off That is a GREAT benefit! - complimentary computers and software Yup, at least in my wifes case, yup, she gets a laptop - free healthcare Not anywhere close to the truth, at least in NH, and gets more expensive to the teacher with every contract negotiation. - Free lunch Only free lunches we ever see: if she brings leftovers. You also forgot to mention the crappy pay, especially starting salary, fresh out of school, it's somewhat location dependant, but a NH teacher, fresh out of school with a masters degree, somewhere around 35/year. Not chump change, but not going to get rich off it, raises have also been squished down, they are contractual so you can plan on it, but again every contract gets tighter.
ragging on teachers is transcendental. that's the sport in california, but also in england, france... if we ever capture a message from an exoplanet in deep space it will likely be a diatribe against their educational system. btw bonnie, i was wrong about the 46 days: it's 47 this year, i just picked up my 4th seniority day for my 17th anniversary in the company.