March 3, 2015 at 9:56 am
I always find out about Job-Benefits for a permanent position long before the interview stage. I agree it shouldn't cloud the issue during which is a crucial point in your career.
I also agree that US Employers are incredibly mean when it comes to rewarding their employees in non-financial ways considering how 'rich and powerful' a nation it is.
Personally I never consider any permanent position (or even attend an interview) without the following minimums: I think these should be legal minimums.
25 days paid holiday (not including public/bank holidays)
3-5% pension contribution (by the employer)
sick pay
private medical
March 3, 2015 at 10:32 am
Interesting discussion. I work for a US government entity as a salaried employee. We are closed for the week of Christmas and 10 other holidays through the year. Here is the interesting part on vacations and holidays; as a salaried employee I get a contract stating that I am paid to work 227 days. I can take 20 days per year as vacation. I am scheduled to work 247 days. So regardless what HR told me about paid holidays and vacations I really don't have any. Now my pay doesn't change month to month regardless how many days we are closed and if I work when we are closed I am allowed to take a 'regular' day in exchange, but even this has changed based on my boss and how pushy I get about the contracted days. Hourly employees get to put hours for those holidays and vacations on their time cards so they are truly paid for them.
March 3, 2015 at 11:13 am
SQL Swerver (3/3/2015)
...I also agree that US Employers are incredibly mean when it comes to rewarding their employees in non-financial ways considering how 'rich and powerful' a nation it is.
..
This has been the subject of some research papers. One I remember reading reviewed decades of union negotiations and found a different set of priorities: US unions were significantly more interested in negotiating salary while EU unions placed more emphasis on time off. It appears to be a cultural perspective.
...
-- FORTRAN manual for Xerox Computers --
March 3, 2015 at 12:08 pm
I work in the US at a small private college. We get 28 days of pto (paid time off which includes sick/vacation). We have seven holidays plus at least four floating holidays (where they are used depends on what day of the week Christmas falls on and what day of the week our independence days falls). There is a great deal of variation between employers.
Julie
March 4, 2015 at 2:28 pm
jay-h (3/3/2015)
SQL Swerver (3/3/2015)
...I also agree that US Employers are incredibly mean when it comes to rewarding their employees in non-financial ways considering how 'rich and powerful' a nation it is.
..
This has been the subject of some research papers. One I remember reading reviewed decades of union negotiations and found a different set of priorities: US unions were significantly more interested in negotiating salary while EU unions placed more emphasis on time off. It appears to be a cultural perspective.
If US unions focused on time off they'd get it, then the workers would need to find temporary work during that time off to keep the lights on.
October 25, 2018 at 4:31 am
10 days vacation... you have to be kidding. Poor American's
October 25, 2018 at 5:37 am
DC_07 - Thursday, October 25, 2018 4:31 AM10 days vacation... you have to be kidding. Poor American's
Granted, US companies tend to be quite stingy on the time off, some more than others. I've seen quite a few articles every so often, that point out it's a cultural thing. Is it a *good* thing? That's up for debate.
One interested factoid on the government holidays, though. In previous years, the day after Thanksgiving was treated as a "free day off with pay." This year, that's changed. This year, it's a normal work day and staff can either use vacation to take it off, come in to work, arrange to telework (if they're allowed to do so,) or if they work a compressed schedule, shift their day off.
What ought to be interesting to see how they handle is the 24th of December and the 31st of December, both Mondays. Last year was easy, both feel on a Sunday. It's possible the Pres may declare them "holidays" and we'll get the days off, but that's not a for-sure.
October 25, 2018 at 7:53 am
I'm a U.S. government worker (National Park Service!) and we get 10 paid holidays, separate sick leave (13 days per year), and annual leave [vacation] (13 days per year for the first three years, 20 days per year for years 4-14, and 26 days per year for 15 or more years of service). I feel very fortunate, as most private employers provide one pot of paid time off (PTO) that workers must use for sickness and vacation and it's often 15 days or less in total.
October 25, 2018 at 8:47 am
Almost 40 days in Spain (vacation + public holidays). Sick days never taken more than a few a year, but dont believe there is a limit if the aprroved by a doctor
October 25, 2018 at 2:17 pm
I work for a local government. The holidays we get are New Years Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. We get one floating personal day and our vacation time is accrued at different rates depending how long you have worked up to 9.23 hours per pay period (80 hours) and a maximum of 300 hours on the books. I think it is pretty generous. The handy thing for a long of people here. If you are out sick for a long time and use up your sick leave time (accrues at 3.7 hours per pay period , no max), you can start using up your vacation time.
October 28, 2018 at 8:46 am
I've never worked in an organization that didn't observe the standard six or so holidays. If someone wants to trade Christmas of July 4 for another date more in line with their religious or national affiliation, I'm sure most employers would be willing to accommodate. It helps to have more than a handful of folks on standby when everyone else is celebrating, so it works for everyone.
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho
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