5 ms·

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 Chr

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.
  - whyleyc 15y ago
    Not at any UK company I've worked at (1 corporation, 1 retailer, 1 startup).
    - megablast 15y ago
      Every uk company I worked at was like this, from a major university, an us IT company, tons financial services company.
  - arethuza 15y ago
    In Scotland closing on January the 1st and 2nd is practically a medical requirement.
- PonyGumbo 15y ago
  I'm in the US. I work remotely for a large healthcare company. The benefits are terrible, the pay is mediocre, and there are no opportunities for advancement, but it allows me to work from home with limited oversight.
  - civilian 15y ago
    "Working from home with limited oversight" couldn't you turn that into "work remotely from the Caribbean"?
    - PonyGumbo 15y ago
      Sure, I can work from anywhere. By 'limited oversight', I mean that I mostly make my own project schedules, but that I'm expected to be available during normal business hours should the need arise. I did a working vacation several years ago (different company). The downside to trying to work from a vacation destination is that you pay an extraordinary amount for travel and lodging, and then lose most of your day to work. On the bright side, if you take a five day vacation and bookend it with two weekends, that's a nine day trip.
CaptainDecisive 15y ago
Sounds like a perfect way to game the system and get three weeks off each year. Just take a full two weeks off during the year and then you magically get an extra week each Christmas ;-) If you know you're doing it ahead of time then you can easily factor in the reduction in salary.

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.
- whyleyc 15y ago
  Not at any UK company I've worked at (1 corporation, 1 retailer, 1 startup).
  - megablast 15y ago
    Every uk company I worked at was like this, from a major university, an us IT company, tons financial services company.
- arethuza 15y ago
  In Scotland closing on January the 1st and 2nd is practically a medical requirement.
PonyGumbo 15y ago
I'm in the US. I work remotely for a large healthcare company. The benefits are terrible, the pay is mediocre, and there are no opportunities for advancement, but it allows me to work from home with limited oversight.
- civilian 15y ago
  "Working from home with limited oversight" couldn't you turn that into "work remotely from the Caribbean"?
  - PonyGumbo 15y ago
    Sure, I can work from anywhere. By 'limited oversight', I mean that I mostly make my own project schedules, but that I'm expected to be available during normal business hours should the need arise. I did a working vacation several years ago (different company). The downside to trying to work from a vacation destination is that you pay an extraordinary amount for travel and lodging, and then lose most of your day to work. On the bright side, if you take a five day vacation and bookend it with two weekends, that's a nine day trip.

CaptainDecisive 15y ago

Sounds like a perfect way to game the system and get three weeks off each year. Just take a full two weeks off during the year and then you magically get an extra week each Christmas ;-) If you know you're doing it ahead of time then you can easily factor in the reduction in salary.