Author Topic: How many annual leave days do you get?  (Read 46298 times)

rujancified

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #100 on: July 14, 2014, 08:45:37 AM »
US. Large Corp, treated darn good for the USA:

4 weeks vacation, doesn't roll over. Can buy up to 40 additional hours
Normal bank holidays (10, I think?)
I have no idea on sick time, but it's at least 5
Good family/medical leave options

At least 5 times, I've taken 2.5-4 weeks off in a stretch before without a ton of manager snark (My manager is good people). I always make sure all my critical loose ends are tied up before I leave and have very explicit instructions for people backing me up. Most of the time, I come back to maybe 4 or 5 emails that I only I could deal with and everything else is handled just fine. It's a huge company, I'm not that important.

I don't leave a single minute of vacation on the table. That's crazy.

10+ years ago when I was young and broke, I had a job at a small company where I was assigned days off:

Boss: <Person who outranks you> and <Another person who outranks you> are taking off the week of Christmas/New Years, so you have to be in the office.
Me: Um. Okay
Boss: You still have a floating holiday to use. Take Columbus Day and the other 4 days of that week.

/Weeks later

Boss: We need you at a client site on Columbus Day.
Me: I'm on vacation.
Boss: Move it back a week.

wild wendella

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #101 on: July 14, 2014, 09:07:49 AM »
When you start at my company (a large, international Bank, but I'm in the US) you get 10 vacation days.  Everyone gets a few sick days and 2 personal days.  Because I was aqcuired through a merger, I started with more vaca days.  I've now been with the company 10 years, and 17 years with the aquisition, so I get 25 vaca days.  This is much more than most working people I know.  It's also frowned upon that I take all 25 days, of course.  The company culture is to take maybe two one-week vacations a year, with a few extra days here and there.  lol.  I actually plan on taking 20 days off this year, even though I know it won't look good. 

I'll add that my company gave me 12 weeks of paid maternity leave, which is pretty generous in the US, I think.
« Last Edit: July 14, 2014, 09:12:11 AM by wild wendella »

lisahi

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #102 on: July 14, 2014, 09:44:34 AM »
Like a couple others here, Fed employee.  Including my military time, I have 22+ years of service, so max leave category -- 26 days/year, can carryover 240 hours max from year to year* (never happened!).  13 sick days annually, accrue indefinitely. 

* approaching retirement, you can carry over 240 hours going in to your last year, then retire right before the end of the leave year with another 200 or so additional hours from the last year, giving you a cash pay-out for 448 hours of leave.  Many Feds do this for a variety of reasons, like using that check to pay off remaining debt, and/or using it to live on while until your pension begins (generally not until 30 days after you retire, and then you are generally only getting 70% of your benefit, from which health insurance and life insurance are deducted, for around 6 months, the amount of time it takes OPM to finalize your paperwork and start paying you 100%).

Also a U.S. Fed. employee. I'm not at the end of my career, so I'm not earning the max 8 hours of paid annual leave per pay period (26 pay periods per year). I'm earning 6 hours of paid annual leave per pay period. Also have the max 240 hour carryover from year to year. And the 4 hours of sick leave earned per pay period.

So, currently, I'm sporting 151 hours of paid annual leave (18.875 days). I would have been way over 240 hours right now and at risk of losing the excess above that if I hadn't taken a 2.5 week vacation earlier this year and donated 40 hours of annual leave to my sister who was on maternity leave. I don't use a lot of my annual leave.

I currently have 274 hours (34.25 days) of sick leave accrued. I was very sick last December and lost a lot of sick leave.

My position does not qualify for the Federal Labor Standards Act which contains the rules for overtime pay for Federal workers, and the division I work for has chosen to compensate overtime work with compensatory time rather than overtime pay. So if I take time off, I take comp time first.

Overall, one of the best benefits of working for the US Government is the annual/sick leave you can accrue and use. Granted, you need to get pre-approval for certain leave, and some positions are stricter than others, but it's generally a good system (and gets better the longer you're in service). Almost makes up for my pay not being at all, in any way, shape or form, comparable to the private sector people doing similar jobs.

simonsez

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #103 on: July 14, 2014, 10:12:15 AM »
My position does not qualify for the Federal Labor Standards Act which contains the rules for overtime pay for Federal workers, and the division I work for has chosen to compensate overtime work with compensatory time rather than overtime pay.
Bummer.

Fellow U.S. fed in the 6 hour annual leave and 4 hour sick leave every 2 weeks category.

Note for executive level (SES) of the federal service: you can rollover 720 hours of AL instead of 240.  Meaning going into your last year and assuming you retire at the end and don't use any during that last year, you can have 720 + 26(# of pay periods typically)*8(hours of AL accrued per pay period)=928 hours of AL, which then gets paid out in one nice chunk.  Depending on the specific executive level, that can easily be north of $70,000 if using 900+ hours of AL.  Nice parting gift!

TheDude

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #104 on: July 14, 2014, 10:35:37 AM »
this thread kind of bums me out. I work for a really small company. We get 10 PTO days and 6 holidays.  Theroretically I should get an extra 5 days in September but I am guessing I will have to fight for them.

Left

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #105 on: July 14, 2014, 10:49:31 AM »
I get 4 weeks/year vs my old job or 5 weeks/year but I only work 4 days a week, 10 hour days, instead of 5 days. So I get a long weekend every week. When I worked 12 hours before, I had more days off than I worked each week >.> hm... I should switch back to 12s lol. Do "training" count? I get sent to week long resorts by sellers every year or two and let them sell us their instruments or train us on their newer features, a few hours a day in class, then it's free time with housing/food all paid for by them

But even when I have less vacation time, because I work 1 day less each week I get 52 more days a year off, not accounting for vacation time either. So I work 3 months less a year by not working 1 extra day a week. Which was why I liked 12s best, I had more than half the year "off" even though I worked every week.

I would really like more people to work 4-10 hour days instead of the 5-8s. I'm not entirely sure how the private sector would do this though >.> Hospital staffing for 24 hours made it easy to break shifts into 8s,10s,12s...

now that I think about it and wrote it out, me getting 3 months off but not consecutively, I hear teachers getting grief for getting 3 months off a year because of summer break. I feel like I have it better, when I work longish hours, I can at least leave it there when I come home and not think about it until I go back, teachers work long hours and keep thinking about it even on time off. They should tell healthcare workers to work more :P but then we say work hard already >.>. Your life might depend on how I perform my job, but my kids depend on the teachers, fair trade in my eyes so I wish teachers were better respected/liked. Wow, I went off on a tangent thinking about my days off, and dont' feel like deleting my thoughts so I'll post anyways. Feel free to ignore my rambling or mods can remove if they don't like it.
« Last Edit: July 14, 2014, 11:02:58 AM by eyem »

Albert

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #106 on: July 14, 2014, 11:24:10 AM »
Actually the best part about my vacation (25 days) allocation is the fact that in my particular position (R&D) I'm almost unrestricted to when I take holidays and how long at once. The first year here I asked my boss whether I can take a vacation during two specific weeks and he answered something like "you needn't ask, just put it in HR system. I'm gone at that time too". I'd still inform him well in advance if I wanted to take five weeks in a row, but otherwise I don't bother any more. It's also allowed to combine business travel with vacation. When I go for a conference I usually take few days extra to see the place.

gimp

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #107 on: July 14, 2014, 12:27:01 PM »
12 days PTO. I think 12 sick days too. And a bunch of holidays. They have a program that lets you cash out one day if you take one day, so I'm going to do that, because I would otherwise probably take... two, maybe three total.

Christof

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #108 on: July 14, 2014, 12:31:47 PM »
I'm not sure what these 'sick days' are though that people are talking about? That's a new one on me. At every company I've worked at if you are sick you stay home and if it carries on more than a couple days then go see a doctor. There haven't been dedicated days for it. So I'm puzzled on that one.

In most , maybe all, European countries you get paid even if you are sick and can't work. In other countries that isn't the case. In the US, for instance, you can get unlimited unpaid time. But paid time off is a benefit that employers may provide. If you are sick, you use up your limited sick time followed by your limited vacation time. After that it is unpaid time or leave the job, which unfortunately leaves you without affordable health insurance, as well (after a grace period).

Albert

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #109 on: July 14, 2014, 12:40:36 PM »
Few years ago I broke a leg badly in a skiing accident. Was in a hospital for 10 days and on crutches for 5 weeks after that and thus unable to work. All of that was fully covered by my accident insurance, I still got 100% of my salary and all medical expenses payed in full. There is no co-pay for accidents. What would happen in such cases in US for someone employed and with a good health insurance?

boognish

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #110 on: July 14, 2014, 12:47:39 PM »
i accrue 7.08 hours every pay period (every two weeks)

7.08*26/8 = 23 days

This includes holidays and sick days.

Fortunately, there is no cap on the amount of hours employees can accrue, and the company cashes you out if you leave. I almost always have 100+ hours, I like to think of it as a severance package from myself if/when I leave.

Also, every time I get a raise, the value of my accrued vacation hours increases accordingly - pretty cool!

gimp

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #111 on: July 14, 2014, 12:57:53 PM »
Quote
Also, every time I get a raise, the value of my accrued vacation hours increases accordingly - pretty cool!

That is really awesome. I never thought of that, but that is really awesome.

Frugal Father

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #112 on: July 14, 2014, 01:59:00 PM »
i accrue 7.08 hours every pay period (every two weeks)

7.08*26/8 = 23 days

This includes holidays and sick days.

Fortunately, there is no cap on the amount of hours employees can accrue, and the company cashes you out if you leave. I almost always have 100+ hours, I like to think of it as a severance package from myself if/when I leave.

Also, every time I get a raise, the value of my accrued vacation hours increases accordingly - pretty cool!
Wow. If my company didn't have a limit, I would be tempted to set a bunch aside as well.

Starting with my company, I get 25 days PTO and 10 holidays a year. I think somewhere down the road it increases to 30. They only last for an extra year, though. For example, if I don't use all my 2013 PTO by the end of 2014, it expires.

Oh, and I'm in the US.

KatieSSS

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #113 on: July 14, 2014, 02:14:07 PM »
Thank you for starting this thread. It made me investigate how much I accrue per month, and in the process, I found out that HR/payroll hasn't been giving me enough vacation days since I got a promotion last fall! The change should have been automatic, but for some reason it didn't happen. Thankfully, they are going to fix the problem and I'll get all the days I should have earned.

I work for a non-profit and I get:
20 personal leave days
12 federal holidays
6 additional days the office is closed over the holiday break
15-ish sick days

I haven't even used half of my personal days, but I tend to save them up for a big two-week break in the summer. Our leave policy is pretty good, I just wish I could take longer chunks. Two weeks is probably the longest I can take. I wish I could take three weeks all at once.


Eric

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #114 on: July 14, 2014, 03:19:53 PM »
this thread kind of bums me out. I work for a really small company. We get 10 PTO days and 6 holidays.  Theroretically I should get an extra 5 days in September but I am guessing I will have to fight for them.

I'm right there with you TheDude.  I've been getting 10 PTO days for 5 years now (although finally get a whole 15 days starting soon).  It's pretty hard and it's definitely one of my biggest drivers towards FIRE.  I'm extremely resentful about how much of my time that my job demands (as I also work 50+ hour weeks) and can't wait to have that burden lifted. 

Shor

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #115 on: July 14, 2014, 03:31:58 PM »
this thread kind of bums me out. I work for a really small company. We get 10 PTO days and 6 holidays.  Theroretically I should get an extra 5 days in September but I am guessing I will have to fight for them.

I'm right there with you TheDude.  I've been getting 10 PTO days for 5 years now (although finally get a whole 15 days starting soon).  It's pretty hard and it's definitely one of my biggest drivers towards FIRE.  I'm extremely resentful about how much of my time that my job demands (as I also work 50+ hour weeks) and can't wait to have that burden lifted.
The other side of the spectrum is when you earn too much PTO days, and you are forced to use them despite not having the time available ot take such days off..
At 6 years of employment, we earn 28 PTO annually, plus 6 holiday days off. You're PTO pool can't go above 40 or you lose it, and HR gets all over you for not having a "balanced work-life". I'm taking off every other Friday to stay just under the line of fire..

But a big project is coming up, and I might be forced to take extended time off prior to the project beginning so that I can work all weekdays without interruption. I love my job, I hate their insistence on balancing my personal life for me, on their schedule.

randymarsh

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #116 on: July 14, 2014, 03:50:48 PM »
Few years ago I broke a leg badly in a skiing accident. Was in a hospital for 10 days and on crutches for 5 weeks after that and thus unable to work. All of that was fully covered by my accident insurance, I still got 100% of my salary and all medical expenses payed in full. There is no co-pay for accidents. What would happen in such cases in US for someone employed and with a good health insurance?

They could take sick/PTO/vacation they had to keep money flowing in. They could also take FMLA leave which is unpaid but protects their job. http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/

Then there would be the copays/coinsurance on the medical side. It really depends on the plan. if you have a high deductible plan, you might pay the first 5K, 10K, etc. and then insurance pays the rest.

griffin

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #117 on: July 14, 2014, 04:07:51 PM »
I work a compressed WW, so 12 hour shifts and 7 working days every 2 weeks. I get 7 floating holidays (can't cash out, must be used by end of year), 7 vacation (cash out at 1x pay, can accumulate up to 14) and 7 personal absence (cash out at 1.5x pay, can accumulate as many as I'd like). Since workweeks are short, ends up being 6 weeks PTO. USA for me!

BikerSaver

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #118 on: July 14, 2014, 05:06:14 PM »
I'm in the US.  I get 25 vacation days plus 6 floating and 6 designated holidays.  I've worked for my employer for 23 +years.  New people receive 15 vacation days and top out at 20 days plus the holidays.  We also have the option to take off up to an additional 20 days at 30% pay.  There aren't designated sick days; if you're sick you call in.  I always take all of my days.

Duchess of Stratosphear

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #119 on: July 14, 2014, 05:22:12 PM »
I earn 24 vacation days a year, 12 sick days, and we have 10 holidays. It's one reason why I stay at my otherwise quite blah job.

I was looking at a tech job listing (for which I am totally unqualified, alas) that had unlimited vacation. I wonder how that works out!


Todd

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #120 on: July 14, 2014, 06:02:39 PM »
Six weeks of vacation + the standard 7 or so holidays.


Alabaster

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #121 on: July 14, 2014, 08:19:29 PM »
15 days per year with the option to carry 5 over from year to year. Plus like 6 holidays a year.

My sister and I will be touring Europe when she graduates from college. (I think on bicycles, but she's going to have to get her riding up so that we can whip out 100 miles/day without too much trouble...) All the while, I'll be on paid leave from work - ha! Granted I'm still in my first year of work so I haven't had a chance to burn out yet, but I think its going to be way, way more than enough. Of course, the company policy of not encouraging work above 40 hours/week helps too!

Alabaster

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #122 on: July 14, 2014, 08:30:05 PM »
15 days with 3 years at the company.  It's not the same in the US.  In return for the brutal hours we get to drive huge pickup trucks and burn all the petroleum we want.  15 days a year.  And on some weekends.  That doesn't make sense to you Brits?  Sure, you get to see your families more than we do, but still, where are your huge pickup trucks?  I bet you don't have one of those....

Haha, I found this funny. Indeed, WHERE ARE YOUR PICKUP TRUCKS?! I even hear that a good part of the population in London doesn't even have a drivers licence. How does life go on?

MsRichLife

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #123 on: July 14, 2014, 08:32:58 PM »
I'm in Australia.

I get 20 days of annual Leave per year which you are supposed to take. It does expire at some point.

An additional 10 days of Long Service Leave which is often difficult to take so I've accrued over 5 months worth.

We can also buy an additional 20 days of leave each year, which I've just done. I'm getting a promotion in the new year, so I have bought the leave now at my current salary and then get to take the leave when I'm on the higher Salary. Seems like a bit of a rort, but I'll take it.

MsRL

sloof70

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #124 on: July 14, 2014, 10:01:07 PM »
20 days vacation after 8 years. It would only be 15, but I bargained for more along the way. Finding out more and more that it isn't so special, and wondering why I'm still here (pay is average and work is dull).

vittelx

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #125 on: July 15, 2014, 01:25:09 AM »
Denmark:

13 national holidays
7 weeks of paid vacation
No cap on sick days
Up to 5 days paid if one of your kids gets sick

When I was in Paris, I spoke to a vacationing couple from Denmark and could not believe how much time they got. They asked how Americans (outside of study abroad students like me) ever traveled or took long vacations. They looked concerned when I said typical vacation time is 2 weeks and I'd be thrilled if I got 3 at my first job.

Yes - we are spoiled compared to others ill admit it. And on top of all that we also get a full year of maternity leave for the mother and something like 2 months for the father with pay. Albeit a somewhat reduced pay for the mother the last 6 months of her leave.

Oh yeah - and of cause we only work 37 hours a week.

But you know what? - I am not sure it will last in the long run with the world getting more and more globalized. I cant help to think that our relative high wages and expensive benefits are severely hurting our ability to compete in the global markets. But hey - that haven't  happened yet to any larger degree so ill just enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts :-)

Phil_Moore

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #126 on: July 15, 2014, 05:18:27 AM »
In most , maybe all, European countries you get paid even if you are sick and can't work. In other countries that isn't the case. In the US, for instance, you can get unlimited unpaid time. But paid time off is a benefit that employers may provide. If you are sick, you use up your limited sick time followed by your limited vacation time. After that it is unpaid time or leave the job, which unfortunately leaves you without affordable health insurance, as well (after a grace period).

Does that not encourage people to work when they are sick? I'm glad I work in a mostly European country...

TheNorwegianGuy

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #127 on: July 15, 2014, 05:30:07 AM »
In most , maybe all, European countries you get paid even if you are sick and can't work. In other countries that isn't the case. In the US, for instance, you can get unlimited unpaid time. But paid time off is a benefit that employers may provide. If you are sick, you use up your limited sick time followed by your limited vacation time. After that it is unpaid time or leave the job, which unfortunately leaves you without affordable health insurance, as well (after a grace period).

Does that not encourage people to work when they are sick? I'm glad I work in a mostly European country...

That is what I am thinking of at well.. Even here where we get full paid for sick days people come to work. This is a huge problem as they not only are sick longer (not getting the needed rest) but they make everybody else around them sick as well and the productivity goes way down. I would guess unpaid sick days would make this effect much much worse...

Gin1984

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #128 on: July 15, 2014, 06:45:10 AM »
In most , maybe all, European countries you get paid even if you are sick and can't work. In other countries that isn't the case. In the US, for instance, you can get unlimited unpaid time. But paid time off is a benefit that employers may provide. If you are sick, you use up your limited sick time followed by your limited vacation time. After that it is unpaid time or leave the job, which unfortunately leaves you without affordable health insurance, as well (after a grace period).

Does that not encourage people to work when they are sick? I'm glad I work in a mostly European country...
Yes it does, as well as this cultural attitude that we should "want" to work so taking time off is seem as bad in many companies.   

golden1

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #129 on: July 15, 2014, 08:38:46 AM »
Quote
Does that not encourage people to work when they are sick? I'm glad I work in a mostly European country...

Absolutely.  It is just expected that you will come into work sick occasionally and you are supposed to suck it up.  The only time that people don't want you in at work is if you are vomiting.  It drives me crazy because I have seen people go into work sick and not only get other people sick but wear themselves down to where they get seriously ill.  My neighbor got a bad cold, kept working, got bronchitis, kept working, got pneumonia, tried to keep working, passed out at work and ended up out of work for 5 weeks.  It is such a shortsighted point of view and it comes with the assumption that workers are trying to "cheat" their employers by not working. 


CommonCents

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #130 on: July 15, 2014, 09:05:45 AM »
US.  Employed by my state.

0-4.5 years employed: 10 vacation days, 3 personal
4.5-9.5 Yyears: 15 vacation days, 3 personal
9.5-19.5 years: 20 vacation days, 3 personal
19.5+ years: 25 vacation days, 3 personal
Sick time: 3 weeks, unlimited carryover year to year

I'm at 2.25 years - halfway to a reasonable vacation allotment.  It's tough in part because I am not young career, but have years of experience and a graduate degree and still start at only 10. 

Carryover permitted: Up to 2 years worth of vacation time (e.g. 20 days for me), except in a transition year (the wording actually isn't clear what happens then).  Personal time expires at the end of the year.  Sick time is unlimited carryover.  (You can also donate sick time to those with a sick bank established by legislature, which I'll do once I build up a much more of a substantial bank for myself.  I don't quite have enough at the moment for the permitted sick time of one pregnancy, much less appointments before it, or if I got really sick.)

I like having some (min of 5 days, 5-10 is good) in the bank for emergencies, etc., but I'm a bit high right now.  I have about 15. 

Note: If I had started work a few months earlier (interview & hiring process took 5-6 months) I would have gotten 5 personal days, but there was a negotated change to give up 2 holidays for personal days only applicable to those working then.  I'm particularly bitter about this because I was given the wrong info about holidays/vacation time (needed to know for wedding) before I accepted my offer.

JoyBlogette

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #131 on: July 15, 2014, 09:27:10 AM »
I'm in the U.S.. 

15 vacation days
3 personal days
2 volunteer days (days for me to volunteer at a nonprofit)
unlimited sick time

Once I am at my current job for 10 years, I will get an extra five days off.  It kind of sucks.  I wish we had more time off.    I *never* leave one hour of vacation on the table.  I think that people who do are just bizarre, and if they're parents of young children, I think it's criminal.  It's so easy to get sucked into this odd value system at work, where showing up and never having a personal life means you're a Very Good Girl.  No thanks.

+1 Exact same for me (except I'm in Canada)

Phil_Moore

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #132 on: July 15, 2014, 10:06:18 AM »
Absolutely.  It is just expected that you will come into work sick occasionally and you are supposed to suck it up.  The only time that people don't want you in at work is if you are vomiting.  It drives me crazy because I have seen people go into work sick and not only get other people sick but wear themselves down to where they get seriously ill.  My neighbor got a bad cold, kept working, got bronchitis, kept working, got pneumonia, tried to keep working, passed out at work and ended up out of work for 5 weeks.  It is such a shortsighted point of view and it comes with the assumption that workers are trying to "cheat" their employers by not working.

It does seem a bit like a lose-lose proposition for all involved. Plus, on an ultra-selfish note, if I'm cycling into work I want the drivers around me bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, rather than concentrating on not pooping themselves or coughing or whatnot.

atlbrew

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #133 on: July 15, 2014, 11:12:41 AM »
Big 4: Starting with company, I get 25 days PTO and 10 holidays a year. After 15 years increases to 30. Can roll-over 50% of annual total and can cash out if you leave. 

lisahi

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #134 on: July 15, 2014, 11:41:02 AM »
I'm not sure what these 'sick days' are though that people are talking about? That's a new one on me. At every company I've worked at if you are sick you stay home and if it carries on more than a couple days then go see a doctor. There haven't been dedicated days for it. So I'm puzzled on that one.

In most , maybe all, European countries you get paid even if you are sick and can't work. In other countries that isn't the case. In the US, for instance, you can get unlimited unpaid time. But paid time off is a benefit that employers may provide. If you are sick, you use up your limited sick time followed by your limited vacation time. After that it is unpaid time or leave the job, which unfortunately leaves you without affordable health insurance, as well (after a grace period).

In the U.S., what you get is entirely dependent on who you work for. That's part of "the land of the free" -- U.S. employers are "free" to not give you great leave options. Yay, America!!

The U.S. Federal Government, however, does provide separate paid sick leave. Every employee accumulates at least 4 hours of sick leave per two-week pay period and the leave never expires.  If you are really sick or injured, you can use all your sick leave at once and get paid while you're recovering, regardless of how much you have accumulated. After that, you can use your annual leave (separate paid personal leave that you accumulate). Once you've used up all your sick and annual leave, you can go on unpaid leave (or you request to be admitted under the leave donation program where other Federal employees can donate paid leave to you). Once you start unpaid leave, your job is protected for 12 weeks under the Family and Medical Leave Act (26 weeks for military).

JPinDC

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #135 on: July 15, 2014, 01:52:09 PM »
20 days of vacation, 3 personal, something like 25 paid holidays (school spring break and winter break plus regular holidays). I'm only supposed to take my 4 weeks off between 7/1 and 8/15 (and not consecutively), so that's a little crazy, but I can't complain about all the time off!

Meggslynn

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #136 on: July 15, 2014, 02:59:16 PM »
In Canada - private sector

15 days of vacation
4 days of flex time (summer only)
10 days of personal/sick time

in a couple years I will be at 20 days vacation ....

plus we get 13 days of statutory holidays.

Dr. Doom

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #137 on: July 15, 2014, 03:10:27 PM »
US - Academia
22 days/yr plus a week between Christmas and New Years, so it's closer to 26/27 depending on how that week breaks.

In previous jobs in the private sector, I've ranged from a minimum of 10 to a max of 16.

One tech startup gave me "unlimited" but intimidated people into rarely, if ever, taking vacation, so it worked out roughly like this:



windawake

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #138 on: July 15, 2014, 03:16:25 PM »
I'm at my first position after finishing graduate school. I started with 22 days of PTO/year with 3 floating holidays. We only get 6 official holidays per year, though.

steggy81

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #139 on: July 15, 2014, 03:21:16 PM »
I'm in the US (Houston, TX).  6.5 years with my company - 15 days vacation, 10 holidays, no formal sick leave policy at all. 

I actually have taken time off unpaid for vacation which was fine with me.  I never leave any vacation on the table.  I had 10 days vacation prior to my 5th year.  10 days off did not feel like enough, especially since I had less vacation at prior jobs.  I'm burned out. 

I just recently had a son and I had 8 weeks of paid maternity leave, two of which the company president gifted me.  That was a nice gesture.

Christof

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #140 on: July 15, 2014, 03:42:25 PM »
Does that not encourage people to work when they are sick? I'm glad I work in a mostly European country...

Yes, it does. Just like having employers provide affordable healthcare encourages people to stay in a job.

It's a different (different, not worse) mind set. In Europe we think of the employer as a person with more power and therefore more responsibility to take care of the family. In the US personal responsibility is more important. It is not the fault of the employer that the employee got sick, so why should they have to pay dearly?

There are arguments for both side which makes this something society has to decide. But it is certainly unexpected if you only know one system. I know I would never even have considered sick days a relevant question for an employee before I learned about this from US friends.

In all fairness, though: Inofficially sick days are one criterium here to decide who to lay off if a  company is in trouble and all legal criterias have been met. That is why people still come to work with a cold and unlimited sick days only in severe cases really is weeks, months or longer.

samburger

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #141 on: July 15, 2014, 08:24:15 PM »
33 days. I'm in my first year at a Fortune 500 in the US. After three years, I get another 5 days.

My blessed company strongly encourages us to take every last minute available to us, so I do.

Grog

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #142 on: July 16, 2014, 06:42:47 AM »
Switzerland here. Minimum by law are 4 weeks, but normally (95%) everyone gets 5 weeks. Working 100% means 42.5 hours/week.

Funnily enough, we had a voitation to increase this number to a minimum of 6 weeks per year, but the majority of swiss people voted against it (they were scared of the prospected huge collapse projected by the industrial leaders).

Anyway, I work for a big company and I get 25 days + 9 public (catholic) holidays + 8 days of company leave (since most catholic holiday are thursday, we receive a free friday and 4-day weekend) in exchange for 15 minutes more work per day (mandatory).
So in total 42 vacation days.
Sick days are unlimited and paid (they are insured at 80% of your salary at minimum, so you pay something every month for this mandatory insurance) as long as you have a medic certificate to attest your sickness (required for everythng more than 2 days leave).

Vacation cannot be postponed to the next year. On top of that, for specail occurence you can have a 1/two day off more (marriage, moving, born of children, etc)
« Last Edit: July 16, 2014, 07:27:46 AM by Grog »

claire.harris

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #143 on: July 16, 2014, 07:14:44 AM »
Accountant in the UK working for a private company, 25 days annual leave + the three days (non-contractual) between Christmas and New Year + 8 bank/public holidays.

I worked for government before, it was 27.5+8 bank holidays, increasing to 32.5 after ten years, plus you could buy or sell five days each year (always buy, tax effective so it only costs c.60% of salary).

Our sick leave isn't limited, once you're off for six months (I think) our permanent health insurance kicks in to pay 50% of salary for as long as you're not working.

frugalnacho

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #144 on: July 16, 2014, 10:55:41 AM »
15 vacation days and 8 holidays. 

In theory we can also work extra (meaning more than 40 hours per week) with the extra going into a time bank to be used at a later time just like vacation time.   In practice if we are so busy that we have to put in more than 40 on a regular basis there is no time to be taking more than 15 days vacation in a year.

Middlesbrough

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #145 on: July 16, 2014, 08:44:04 PM »
PTO here and it has to be accrued. Just finished my first year where I only got 10 days per year and one personal day making for 11 days total. I am on level two and get 15 days a year plus a personal day making for 16 days. You move up based on hire date. Personal days are given once a year and are use it or lose it.

I think we get 6 holidays a year. US here.

katie

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #146 on: July 16, 2014, 09:36:27 PM »
I work for a giant company in the US.  I get (after 6 years) just over 3 weeks paid leave a year and that includes my sick leave.  It used to be separate time off, but they combined it before I started working for the company.

However - since we are a big company and expected to manage our work load, I do have a flexible schedule.  If we have a project due one week and I work 60 hours, as long as the next week is the same pay period, I can chose to work 40 hours and get paid for the extra 20 hours or I can work 20 hours and have a short week.  I almost always take the short week option as I need the break from work to see my two minis at home.

Kepler

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #147 on: July 23, 2014, 11:21:19 PM »
Australian university.  On paper, my working arrangements look great:

- 36-hour work week
- 20 days annual leave (these roll over, but they start getting antsy when these go above 25)
- public holidays
- days between Christmas and New Year when the campus shuts down
- not personally sure how many sick days, but they roll over, and I currently have close to five months accrued)
- option to buy an additional 20 days, in which case it's use or lose
- if you are research active (I am), option for research leave one term every three years, and reduced teaching obligations one term out of three years

However.  The 36-hour week is laughable - 60 hours, excluding my personal research time, is standard.  In practice, I generally end up needing to take my annual leave to complete major writing projects - these are nominally part of my work plan, but, in practice, no one leaves me alone to do anything unless I'm "on leave".  Research leave is never fully honoured - it is still useful, and I'm glad to have access to it, but it just means I have thirty hours a week of nonsense on my schedule, rather than sixty (where writing gets done /after/ the nonsense, in what is meant to be my own time).  The Christmas shutdown period also doesn't apply to me right now, as I'm the only person legally able to do a specific job that must be done over that period. Public holidays make no difference to my schedule, other than that I don't have to physically front up to class.

I'm currently considering buying the extra 20-days leave, so that I get some actual time off, in addition to the four weeks I use up on writing...  I have a new manager, however, so I'm currently seeing if he's true to his word that my writing schedule will be respected this term - I'm skeptical, but all things being equal I'd just as soon be paid for publishing, since that's meant to be a substantial part of my job.

What is genuinely good, however, are the maternity benefits - these I wouldn't be able to match elsewhere, and they are the reason I'm still here.  I haven't had to claim sick leave, but certainly the allocation seems generous if I need it.  And I have enormous flexibility about when I work - really useful with two young kids, and another reason I haven't more aggressively sought out other options.

Frostee

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #148 on: July 24, 2014, 02:16:35 AM »
10 days vacation - This increases every few years until it maxes out at 20 days when you have 18+ years of service with the company.  Unused days rollover until you have accrued double the amount you get per year, at which point you stop accruing until you use some days.

10 days sick leave - This doesn't increase with additional years of service.  At the end of the year, you lose 50% of unused sick days, and the other 50% rolls over.  If you accumulate 20 days, you stop accruing until you use some days.

12 holidays

We also have a pretty liberal policy when it comes to flexing days.  We can usually take a day off without using a vacation day if we make up the hours missed on that day over the course of the rest of the days during that same pay period (two week pay period).  Flexing days is up to your manager's discretion.  I have never had a manager refuse a flexed day request, but I have heard some managers don't like to let their employees flex days.

FIREman2036

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Re: How many annual leave days do you get?
« Reply #149 on: July 24, 2014, 05:56:47 AM »
What is the difference between a holiday and a vacation in America? Also specifying how many sick days you get seems strange, doesn't that just encourage people to take them if they need them or not. I have had one sick day in 5 years but who is to say i wont be ill for a few months at any moment.

I get 32 paid holidays per year to take when i want and 8 national holidays per year (8 weeks). When i get married i will also get major anniversaries and children's birthdays in addition. On top of that, each day i spend working abroad (about 12 weeks per year) i get 0.5 a day back.

So i end up with about 14 weeks paid holiday a year. This is pretty standard for a Large company in Europe (Ex UK) and makes for a really good work life balance. Coming from the UK i sometimes feel that i am already semi-retired!