Um, other countries actually have laws / regulations / entitlements around PTO/annual leave. America doesn't. Literally any day off is a gift from your employer

Um, other countries actually have laws / regulations / entitlements around PTO/annual leave. America doesn't. Literally any day off is a gift from your employer or something you've negotiated, not something guaranteed to you by law. When it's guaranteed by law, it's a totally different dynamic. You accumulate your PTO. You put in requests. They are usually approved. You don't need to provide an excuse. You carry them over the next year if unused and you get them paid out when you leave your job. This is what Americans don't understand about this concept. On the flip side, people don't just wander in and out of the office and disappear when they feel like it (as senior people in the US tend to do) without telling anyone. Everyone puts in leave requests even for an hour, even the boss.