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What really grinds my gears is when federal holidays count towards my "vacation time". Those alone eat up seven days! I request four weeks of vacation in my co

What really grinds my gears is when federal holidays count towards my "vacation time". Those alone eat up seven days! I request four weeks of vacation in my contract, but am afraid to use them. That's America.

wccrawford 15y ago
Oh wow, that's the first I've ever heard of that. That would not be acceptable for me. I think I'll be asking for more vacation time in future contracts, too. I managed to secure extra in the first year of my current contract because I had a need (planned trip) but in the future, I'm just going to require more. Of course, benefits and pay are interchangeable, so I might just request the ability to take unpaid vacation as needed, up to a certain amount.
- knieveltech 15y ago
  I've started making vacation time a major part of the negotiation when taking a new position and in all instances I've brought it up during the interview process the interviewer acted alarmed. Even with my current position with a really cool small web shop they ended up interviewing me a 2nd time before offering the position. The key topic of conversation during the 2nd interview was basically the CEO trying to figure out if I planned on taking time off in some unspecified but inconvenient fashion that would leave the company in a bind.
  - euroclydon 15y ago
    It's easy to keep salary info private, not so with vacation time.
    - knieveltech 15y ago
      Now there's a piece of subtlety that wouldn't have occurred to me without having it pointed out by another. I guess I've got a bit of a blind spot since I don't care much about what other people in the company are getting compensation-wise.
- lurker20 15y ago
  Sort of. The difference is that some benefits are linked to length-of-service or continuity-of-service, so an unpaid vacation in the USA can scuttle your health insurance, equity vest, 401(k) match, etc.
  - wccrawford 15y ago
    Please cite that. That could be very important, but I've never heard of such a thing before.
  - camiller 15y ago
    Bridge-of-service. I've seen someone leave a company (on good terms) come back two years later and the company gave the bridge-of-service with regards to 401(k), vacation, etc. He was really good though and the company really wanted him back.
krschultz 15y ago
I don't have holidays count but we have a 'holiday shutdown' for 5 days between Christmas and New Years, mandatory you can't work, but you burn your own vacation time. And I only get 2 weeks! Other options include taking the week unpaid, or working during the the other weeks in the year when you hvae a holiday and 'floating' it to the holiday shutdown. So next week I have memorial day off, but I'll make sure to work >40 hours in the remaining 4 days. Is 1 extra week of vacation really going to change the productivity of the place?
PonyGumbo 15y ago
I started a new job last year with 10 days of vacation. It wasn't until December that I learned that five of those days were mandatory for the week between Christmas and New Year's. If you had no vacation days left, it was unpaid time off.
- bretthoerner 15y ago
  Since this is HN, there's a pretty good chance you're an Engineer of some kind. Where are you (or what do you do?) that companies can get away with this?
  - mattmanser 15y ago
    This is the norm in the UK, companies close over the holidays and there are mandatory holidays that go with that. Being clear about this with new (and especially young) employees is a good idea as to people straight out of college, it's not obvious. But there's certainly nothing dodgy about it.
    - rjh29 15y ago
      Is it really? My company runs over the holidays and our problem is actually finding people who can work during that time. Surely lots of tech companies have to keep running over Christmas?
    - bretthoerner 15y ago
      Mandatory closing are one thing. Hell, I'd like to have the holidays off anyway. But it's 50% of his total time off. Is that "the norm"?
      - rmc 15y ago
        Considering the UK minimum holiday entitlement is 4 weeks and there are 2 public holidays there (Christmas Day and Boxing Day), employees only need to take 3 days annual leave (15% their yearly total) and the company can close for one calendar week.
lurker20 15y ago
If you are on a contract (which from context I am guessing is full-time per week, short-term), you can take vacation before or after the term, right?
pstack 15y ago
Whoa, I've never heard of that before. In my experience, there are company holidays and vacation days and "sick days". All are at the discretion of the employer as to what are observed and given, but I've never heard of them overlapping (ie, if your company observes ten holidays and you have ten vacation days, you get 20 days off that year). It seems like something you should be able to take up with your employer, because you requested vacation and they're counting holidays (something different) against them. That sees like a bit of a rip off. Of course, I know that even two weeks of vacation is considered a lot in this country and my mom works in a job where she doesn't get _any_ paid vacation, so . . .

wccrawford 15y ago

Oh wow, that's the first I've ever heard of that. That would not be acceptable for me. I think I'll be asking for more vacation time in future contracts, too. I managed to secure extra in the first year of my current contract because I had a need (planned trip) but in the future, I'm just going to require more. Of course, benefits and pay are interchangeable, so I might just request the ability to take unpaid vacation as needed, up to a certain amount.

knieveltech 15y ago
I've started making vacation time a major part of the negotiation when taking a new position and in all instances I've brought it up during the interview process the interviewer acted alarmed. Even with my current position with a really cool small web shop they ended up interviewing me a 2nd time before offering the position. The key topic of conversation during the 2nd interview was basically the CEO trying to figure out if I planned on taking time off in some unspecified but inconvenient fashion that would leave the company in a bind.
- euroclydon 15y ago
  It's easy to keep salary info private, not so with vacation time.
  - knieveltech 15y ago
    Now there's a piece of subtlety that wouldn't have occurred to me without having it pointed out by another. I guess I've got a bit of a blind spot since I don't care much about what other people in the company are getting compensation-wise.
lurker20 15y ago
Sort of. The difference is that some benefits are linked to length-of-service or continuity-of-service, so an unpaid vacation in the USA can scuttle your health insurance, equity vest, 401(k) match, etc.
- wccrawford 15y ago
  Please cite that. That could be very important, but I've never heard of such a thing before.
- camiller 15y ago
  Bridge-of-service. I've seen someone leave a company (on good terms) come back two years later and the company gave the bridge-of-service with regards to 401(k), vacation, etc. He was really good though and the company really wanted him back.

krschultz 15y ago

I don't have holidays count but we have a 'holiday shutdown' for 5 days between Christmas and New Years, mandatory you can't work, but you burn your own vacation time. And I only get 2 weeks! Other options include taking the week unpaid, or working during the the other weeks in the year when you hvae a holiday and 'floating' it to the holiday shutdown. So next week I have memorial day off, but I'll make sure to work >40 hours in the remaining 4 days. Is 1 extra week of vacation really going to change the productivity of the place?

PonyGumbo 15y ago

I started a new job last year with 10 days of vacation. It wasn't until December that I learned that five of those days were mandatory for the week between Christmas and New Year's. If you had no vacation days left, it was unpaid time off.

bretthoerner 15y ago
Since this is HN, there's a pretty good chance you're an Engineer of some kind. Where are you (or what do you do?) that companies can get away with this?
- mattmanser 15y ago
  This is the norm in the UK, companies close over the holidays and there are mandatory holidays that go with that. Being clear about this with new (and especially young) employees is a good idea as to people straight out of college, it's not obvious. But there's certainly nothing dodgy about it.
  - rjh29 15y ago
    Is it really? My company runs over the holidays and our problem is actually finding people who can work during that time. Surely lots of tech companies have to keep running over Christmas?
  - bretthoerner 15y ago
    Mandatory closing are one thing. Hell, I'd like to have the holidays off anyway. But it's 50% of his total time off. Is that "the norm"?
    - rmc 15y ago
      Considering the UK minimum holiday entitlement is 4 weeks and there are 2 public holidays there (Christmas Day and Boxing Day), employees only need to take 3 days annual leave (15% their yearly total) and the company can close for one calendar week.

lurker20 15y ago

If you are on a contract (which from context I am guessing is full-time per week, short-term), you can take vacation before or after the term, right?

pstack 15y ago

Whoa, I've never heard of that before. In my experience, there are company holidays and vacation days and "sick days". All are at the discretion of the employer as to what are observed and given, but I've never heard of them overlapping (ie, if your company observes ten holidays and you have ten vacation days, you get 20 days off that year). It seems like something you should be able to take up with your employer, because you requested vacation and they're counting holidays (something different) against them. That sees like a bit of a rip off. Of course, I know that even two weeks of vacation is considered a lot in this country and my mom works in a job where she doesn't get _any_ paid vacation, so . . .