Holidays in the US

[Regit]

8 holidays would be nice. In SC, we have 11 holidays. The 10 federal holidays, plus an extra state holiday, Jefferson Davis's Birthday, which is such a ridiculous holiday that it makes me cringe.

I live ic SC and never heard of that 11th. Must be a perk for the precious few.

It's an official state holiday celebrated on Jun 3. Try to visit DHEC that day and you'll notice.

[Pburgh]

Our guys get the following paid holidays
New Year's Day
Good Friday
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Day after Thanksgiving
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
Plus 2 Floating Holidays that they can take whenever they want.
They get 2 personal days (unpaid)
After 1 year they get 40 hours paid vacation
After 2 years they get 80 hours paid vacation
After 3 years they get 120 hours paid vacation

[lurkey]

Well my point was that we should have more vacation in lieu of holidays.

It will never happen. If we stopped celebrating a holiday, that would just turn into one more workday for Americans. We already work too hard as a nation as it is.

Yeah, I didn't say it was ever going to happen. For some reason, American companies can't seem to figure out that other countries give more annual leave and get more efficient production.

Looking at worldwide data pointing you in one direction and then going in the exact opposite direction is as American as apple pie.

One thing you are leaving out is that it isn't so much the fault of "American companies", but it is a cultural thing, also. Americans, in general, work longer hours and take less vacation. So companies can offer more annual time, but it is up to the workers to use it. Also, annual time (or vacation time) isn't just used for taking vacations. A lot of people use paid vacation time to do non-medical personal business that can only be done between 8 am - 5 pm, Monday thru Friday. So, it probably would be better to say that Americans work more and take less leisure time.

[tropicana]

To add some humor... you may have heard this one before but....

So you want a day off. Let's take a look at what you are asking for. There are 365 days per year available for work. There are 52 weeks per year in which you already have 2 days off per week, leaving 261 days available for work. Since you spend 16 hours each day away from work, you have used up 170 days, leaving only 91 days available. You spend 30 minutes each day on coffee break which counts for 23 days each year, leaving only 68 days available. With a 1 hour lunch each day, you used up another 46 days, leaving only 22 days available for work. You normally spend 2 days per year on sick leave. This leaves you only 20 days per year available for work. We are off 5 holidays per year, so your available working time is down to 15 days. We generously give 14 days vacation per year which leaves only 1 day available for work and I'll be damned if you are going to take that day off!

[Regit]

To add some homor... you may have heard this one before but....

So you want a day off. Let's take a look at what you are asking for. There are 365 days per year available for work. There are 52 weeks per year in which you already have 2 days off per week, leaving 261 days available for work. Since you spend 16 hours each day away from work, you have used up 170 days, leaving only 91 days available. You spend 30 minutes each day on coffee break which counts for 23 days each year, leaving only 68 days available. With a 1 hour lunch each day, you used up another 46 days, leaving only 22 days available for work. You normally spend 2 days per year on sick leave. This leaves you only 20 days per year available for work. We are off 5 holidays per year, so your available working time is down to 15 days. We generously give 14 days vacation per year which leaves only 1 day available for work and I'll be damned if you are going to take that day off!

I love that. Judging by the math skills, I think that came from Enron.

[gtalum]

One thing you are leaving out is that it isn't so much the fault of "American companies", but it is a cultural thing, also. Americans, in general, work longer hours and take less vacation.

If not "American companies", who exactly do you think created that culture in the US? We only have the time off that we have because of the work the unions did at the beginning of this century in advancing workers' rights. If "American companies" had their way in general, we'd all work 6-7 days a week for 12 hours a day with no vacation and only Christmas off.

[lurkey]

One thing you are leaving out is that it isn't so much the fault of "American companies", but it is a cultural thing, also. Americans, in general, work longer hours and take less vacation.

If not "American companies", who exactly do you think created that culture in the US? We only have the time off that we have because of the work the unions did at the beginning of this century in advancing workers' rights. If "American companies" had their way in general, we'd all work 6-7 days a week for 12 hours a day with no vacation and only Christmas off.

First of all, I said "American companies", because Regit forgot that a lot of Americans are employed by non-American companies that have offices and factories in the United States (ie Toyota, Nissan, a bunch of others that are owned by the British, Canadians, French etc that I can't remember of the top of my head). So, just going after "American" companies is not fair, since "non-American" companies are following the same rules and regulations and don't go out of their way to offer their American workers the same benefits they are offer (or force to offer) the offices in their home countries.

For the record, I have no problems with federal labor laws that mandate hourly employees receive overtime and vacation, child labor law, working conditions, etc. Employees have rights and should be treated fairly by employers. If it takes the government to pass laws to enforce those rights, then that's fine.

As far as vacation time goes --- Amount of vacation time is often used a "perk" to lure workers to work at companies. And if you don't like it and are able to, you can quit and work at company with better benefits. People do this all the time. There are studies that have been done about the amount of turnover in companies in the US. One reasons people move around between companies is to get better benefits than they had their previous job. Americans do more "job-hopping" now than the did 20 years ago.

But in the end, it is up the worker take the vacation leave. Where I work, there are "use it or lose it" rules. So, after reaching certain amount of vacation hours, you are forced to take a vacation.

[Yarrah]

Yeah but how much vacation time do you get?

Depends on where you're working. Most people save all their free days so they can have three or four weeks off in the summer.

[angelwing]

What's a vacation? I haven't had one since September 95!

[tropicana]

I haven't had a true vacation since November of 2003.

[Stephanie]

Phew...thank goodness you didn't mention doing away with Mardi Gras! Now that's a holiday i can't live without!

[JonathanBelles]

To add some humor... you may have heard this one before but....

So you want a day off. Let's take a look at what you are asking for. There are 365 days per year available for work. There are 52 weeks per year in which you already have 2 days off per week, leaving 261 days available for work. Since you spend 16 hours each day away from work, you have used up 170 days, leaving only 91 days available. You spend 30 minutes each day on coffee break which counts for 23 days each year, leaving only 68 days available. With a 1 hour lunch each day, you used up another 46 days, leaving only 22 days available for work. You normally spend 2 days per year on sick leave. This leaves you only 20 days per year available for work. We are off 5 holidays per year, so your available working time is down to 15 days. We generously give 14 days vacation per year which leaves only 1 day available for work and I'll be damned if you are going to take that day off!

I agree!

[Tstormwatcher]

I vote to keep all of our national holidays and ad a few more.