European holidays vs US vacations

[Miss Mary]

Think we're doing something wrong over here in the United States to take only one vacation a year? My husband can only get away for one week a year for our family trips and can take 5 more days, here and there, which adds up to only 2 weeks a year. Sure we would be nice to vacation 6 weeks a year!

Please don't turn this into a political debate, that wasn't my intent. Makes me wonder if on the job stress levels are lower in Europe than the US. Thoughts anyone?

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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/08/ ... 4664.shtml

LONDON, August 9, 2004

Unwinding on the French Riveria, along the Promenade des Anglais, in Nice. Long vacations are de rigueur in France, but many in France can no longer afford them. (Photo: AP)

Europeans have long prided themselves in having what they believe is a fairer society than Americans. Social benefits are more generous and everyone has medical coverage, in addition to long vacations.

(CBS) Tom Fenton, in his fourth decade with CBS News, has been the network's Senior European Correspondent since 1979. He comments on international events from his "Listening Post" in London, and other parts of the world as well.\

The ideological arguments between the New World and Old Europe are not limited to the invasion of Iraq and America's role as the sole superpower. There is another profound gulf between the two sides of the Atlantic. It's the vacation gap.

Europeans take lots of them, and seem to think that's what life is all about. Americans take far fewer vacations, and even feel a little guilty about them.

One of the broadsides Michael Moore fired at President Bush in "Fahrenheit 9/11" was the charge first reported by The Washington Post that he spent 42 percent of his first eight months in office on vacation. How dare he!

Europeans, on the other hand, think vacations are a basic human right. Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer recently announced that the government criteria for defining poverty will be broadened to include families that cannot afford a week's vacation every year.

In the European Union, at least four weeks a year is considered normal, and most people take more. Many Europeans need six weeks of vacation time so they can fit in those family skiing trips in the winter in addition to the beach in the summer. Even the Chinese take three weeks.

Statisticians say American vacations are the shortest in the industrialized world: 8.1 days a year. That's just enough to be above the British poverty line.

The result, says the International Labor Organization, is that Americans work twelve weeks a year more than Europeans.

You probably know that the French Socialists, a few years ago before they were voted out of office, enacted a statutory 35-hour limit for the work week. The Germans have the same limit. What you may not have heard is that the European 35-hour week is not working.

It was supposed to create more jobs. What it has done is damage the French and German economies. Businesses can no longer afford it, and several German firms have already convinced their unions to agree to a longer working hours with no increase in weekly pay. That is a small revolution and it may be a harbinger of a profound change in European thinking.

Europeans have long prided themselves in having what they believe is a fairer society than Americans. Social benefits are more generous and everyone has medical coverage, in addition to long vacations. America, by contrast, is painted in popular European mythology as the land of savage free market capitalism, where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

Well, the highly respected Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has just published a report that claims that inequalities in living conditions are greater in the Euro zone than in the United States. In addition, the report states, "U.S. income per capita is 30 percent above the Euro area's and is widening."

I have just come back from a seaside vacation in a popular French summer resort. The tourist business there is down 30 percent this summer. The problem, say local businessmen, is not a shortage of foreign tourists. It's the French who are staying away. They can no longer afford those long vacations.

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[breeze]

Interesting story, Miss Mary! How many of us
have also been "on vacation", just to have the
cell phone ring, and, it's the office, asking a
work-related question? Seems we can't
even enjoy the precious time that we
DO get to take!

[Guest]

Hey, I found something I like about the French! Thanks for pointing it out Miss Mary.
...Jennifer...

[Miss Mary]

Jen - LOL! Glad I put a positive spin on your perspective.

Annette - I wish my hubby would take his additional vacation days at home, getting things accomplished around here. Ah, but he's self employed and can't break away. And honestly if he did, it would be just like you described - the phone would ring or he'd be on the laptop a lot!

After I started this topic I remembered my brother qualifies for close to 6 weeks vacation with UPS now. He's been with the company almost 30 years and is close to retirement. He is almost forced into taking time off! All employees in his seniority bracket are, to keep stress levels low (he's a long distance driver, driving the Cincy/Cleveland or Cincy/Toledo run every night). He is truly the exception though. And get this - he puts in for several weeks during winter, when he anticipates snowy wx! He figures he's put in his time on slick roads and would like to avoid them now. But again, he's encouraged to take these weeks, otherwise he loses them in the next calendar year.

Mary

[azskyman]

Just a quick note...No time off to write more!!

There are quite a few unemployed people in this country who must have French blood in them. They come in for an interview, tell YOU that they can't work weekends or nights or overtime, must take vacation at the same time their spouse gets his/hers, and that they hope we will pay them what they are worth (which is a whole lot in their minds!)

They probably appreciate my usual response. No need to come back for a second interview...and enjoy your time off. And yes, I'm willing to pay you what you appear to be worth....nothing! Have a nice day! (Actually I am not that sarcastic in person, but that little guy with the red horns on my shoulder is sure coaching me to say those things!)

Having that Midwest work ethic, I have worked two jobs from 1970-1997 (including my year in Vietnam!). Not until I hit 51 did I begin having Saturdays off on a regular basis. I used the extra time not for vacations, but to become a wish granter for Make-A-Wish, teach at a local learning center, and my most recent adventure, local politics! Ahhhh...that feels better to be busy!

I earn a day off for every 10 I work and have accumulated those 6 1/2 weeks...closest I came to taking them was to be down to about 4 weeks in the bank.

But....I must admit, a week on Ka'anapalli Beach on Maui would be mighty nice about right now!

[Miss Mary]

Steve - thanks for another perspective! My red horns were coming out reading your post. That sure isn't the way to get hired for a new job! The terms should be coming from the other side of the desk. I've never been to Europe so what do I know. I just thought this was an interesting difference between the two countries/customs. I've noticed many neighbors taking their extra vacation time at home, not traveling, but doing home remodeling projects that can't be done on a weekend. Wonder what the French would say to that? Hire someone for that job and go on holiday? I've always thought it seemed odd to say holiday instead of vacation. In our house Nina says Vaca! LOL

Mary