Vacation Days and Statutory Holidays in G8 nations

[Kathryn41 3,205]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/interactives/map-vacation-days/

Check out this link to a CBC (Canada) news story showing a graph of mandatory minimum holidays and minimum statutory holidays in different G-8 countries. It is enlightening - and kind of scary if you are in the US.

[Jenn! 918]

Why does it list the U.S. as having 0 statutory holidays? Aren't national holidays such as Labor Day, Memorial Day, Presidents' Day, etc. counted in that?

[Kathryn41 3,205]

that is the problem - while the holidays exist an employer is not obligated to give them to you. If he wants you to work those days you have to, and if he gives them to you as holidays he isn't obligated to pay you for them. There are no minimum statutory holidays in the US for workers - nor is there any obligation upon the employer to give you a minimum number of vacation days. Under US legislation you could work 365 days a year with no time off and no 'extra' money to compensates for holidays/vacation, and it would be legal. There are, however, State legislations that can and do modify the lack of federal legislation but they are extremely variable and diverse.

Edited August 12, 2007 by Kathryn41

[JamalNTam 1]

This is what scares me about living and working in the us! I'm so scared that I'll never be able to visit my family once I start working here! In the UK I used all of my 25 days of vacation every year - it's so nice to have a break from work!!

[Kez/JWolf 6]

I work for a Large international Bank here in the US and I get 10 days vacation each year and 6 holidays... once I have been with the Bank for 10 years I will get 15 days... and yes it does make it very hard if you want to go home to the UK to see family we were able to go last year but had to work around weekends to give us extra time... we left Boston on a Friday night got to Glasgow early Saturday morning and then flew home the following Sunday and went to work Monday... that gave us 8 days with the family not much.. but better than nothing... I so wish I had my 30 days vacation time I had with my last job in the UK...

Kez

[Dr_LHA 3]

Why does it list the U.S. as having 0 statutory holidays? Aren't national holidays such as Labor Day, Memorial Day, Presidents' Day, etc. counted in that?

Employers are not required to give you them off. I work for a large University (Universities are usually known for being more generous with holidays than an average US employer) and we don't get Presidents day for example (or Columbus day, or MLK day).

Edited August 12, 2007 by Dr_LHA

[Cantankerous 0]

That chart does look bad for the US. I would love to have more time off.

I get 16 days paid vacation plus 8 paid holidays; and 6 paid sick days which I do not usually take, however, some people consider them extra vacations days... You really just have to select a good employer and you’ll get time off from work. It’s never enough though, now is it?

[Dr_LHA 3]

That chart does look bad for the US. I would love to have more time off.

I get 16 days paid vacation plus 8 paid holidays; and 6 paid sick days which I do not usually take, however, some people consider them extra vacations days... You really just have to select a good employer and you'll get time off from work. It's never enough though, now is it?

Plenty of vacation days are great and all, but the problem is taking them. I personally have never been able to find the time to take any more than half my vacation allowance in the last 8 years.

[RosemarieL 0]

This is what scares me about living and working in the us! I'm so scared that I'll never be able to visit my family once I start working here! In the UK I used all of my 25 days of vacation every year - it's so nice to have a break from work!!

This is something that worries me too. My mother is getting old now and I want to see her regularly but I don't want to spend all my holidays just doing that.

[CardiffIan 0]

This is something that worries me about starting work in the US. At the moment my fiancee works for a small company, and not only does she not get any paid vaccation days, holidays or sick leave, she has also had to work several weekends for no overtime pay at all. Recently she even did 17 days straight without a day off and I just can't believe its perfectly legal to do so, it just seems crazy that employers can exploit their workers so easily.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Interesting that even Japan has statuatory holidays.

Taking a cut of 27 days to 10 was the hardest thing about returning to the US after 10 years away. That, and the fact people think you are slacking if you don't take your blackberry with you on the crappy couple days you do get off.