Paid holiday entitlement in the UK and USA?

Question

I understand that Americans get only one or two weeks' paid leave per year, even if they are in quite senior positions. Here in the UK 4 weeks is standard, more as you move into more senior positions. I wondered how historically it had come about that Americans get such little time off work, how they feel about it and how it works in practice - do they actually only go away for one week a year or do they have some unofficial way of getting a decent break from work?

Answer 1

Well it varies by employer and your employment contract in the US.

I am lucky I get 4 weeks or so, but that is generous and I am in a Sr. level position. Many only get 1-2 weeks. Part of it's cultural. Americans are workaholics and it's not uncommon for people to take along their blackberries and laptops on vacation with them, participating in conference calls and responding to e-mails while away. But around 2001-2002 the economy was so bad with all the layoffs people were desperate and tried to make themselves appear indispensable. I used to be like that but now I severely limit what I do while on vacation. Also, many families, particularly young parents and adults, were raised in homes that rarely took vacation so the concept means nothing to them in adulthood and their idea of vacation is an occasional Friday off. Many younger people even ask their employers if they can get the vacation paid out in salary instead. But I would not recommend that, we all need to recharge now and then.

The high fuel prices, combined with a deteoriating airline industry haven't helped matters either. Especially since many of us live on opposite sides of the country from our friends and families.

I like the European approach, several full weeks off a year, and envy you folks.

Answer 2

Hello, I've never been to the UK, but I've lived in the USA my entire life. Which is better that is a matter of opinion. Both have good and bad points. Most companies have Maternity leave, some from 3 weeks to 3 months. Their is no law saying how much or how little a company can give you. At least to my knowledge their isn't. We don't have any banks holidays over here. On the holiday time it depends on the company. Some you earn vacation time after a year and some give you vacation time as soon as you start. Again their is no hard and fast rule about that. Do you have a job lined up when you come over? 35k is okay, it's just where you live. In places like New York city or Chicago, L. A. you're at the low end. I live in Indianapolis which is a nice size city. 35k would get you a nice appeasement or a decent house.

Answer 3

Holiday Entitlement Usa

Answer 4

In the USA, nobody has an automatic right to ANY paid vacation or holidays, although almost all employers do give some of each. Vacation typically starts at 2 weeks after one year of employment, and often goes to around 4 weeks after some number of years. Most companies have 6-13 paid holidays a year.

Western Europeans typically get more vacation time than people in the USA.

Answer 5

Having moved to the US from the UK, I have noticed this, however there are quite a few 'public holidays' here in the US too.

Oddly though a lot of Americans also make full use of their weekends, by going away on a Friday night and returning on a Sunday night, they make full use of weekends rather than vegetating like they do in UK (or down in the Southern States they do)

SO add those weekend days up and they do have a fairly full program for relaxation.

Also the normal working week is still 40 hours here, as against 37.5 in the UK.

Minimum basic wage is less than the UK (less than £4/hour) but lower technical wages are higher (a basic Technician can expect to earn £30,000 here as against maybe $22,000 in UK)

Cost of living is also greatly reduced in the Southern states (about 50%), and house anywhere from 1/5th to 1/10th of UK prices - also property taxes etc lots lower)

So you look at the overal lifestyle and choose.

I know what I chose.

Answer 6

Americans usually try to find jobs they like, so they aren't "waiting for holiday" as much as British people are. Americans (in general) also 'plan' their 'not-at-work' time activities much more formally that Brits, so they don't get so tired of working. This is almost a function of geography rather than culture, though, America is much more spread out compared with Britain, most Americans simply can't drop in at a pub on their walk home.

Having done extensive research in both countries, I strongly suspect that good beer is the reason Britain is so much less productive than the USA! LOL. Though that is changing.

Answer 7

I believe I saw a poll that said most Americans don't take time off because they are afraid their employer will realize how little work they actually do. I personally love to take time off and make my supervisor do my job. It gives me the upper hand when seeking a raise.

Answer 8

Some of us don't even get two weeks off a year. I haven't had a week off in over four years.

Answer 9

it depends on what kind of job you are in also as you can earn a certain amount of leave per month in some jobs and as little as nothing per month in others i think that they should have a better system where a certain amount of weeks are standard too.

Answer 10

All boils down to the contracts of employment, pure and simple