6 ms·

Job Candidate: So how much vacation time do you offer? Interviewer: We offer one-month paid vacation with your co-workers at an exotic location of our choosing

Job Candidate: So how much vacation time do you offer? Interviewer: We offer one-month paid vacation with your co-workers at an exotic location of our choosing. Oh, and we decide when you take those vacations

muzani 5y ago
CEO to employees: It's an exotic trip to a remote Thai island we have all to ourselves! CEO to shareholders: It's a tax deductible 3-day meeting and team building exercise! CEO to spouse: Hey, jet skiing in Thailand was on your bucket list, right?
- danjac 5y ago
  Developers: I get to change my default external background image to tropical-island.jpg for a month
- seanmcdirmid 5y ago
  When I worked for Microsoft China we’d have a group offsite every year to some Chinese city or other Asian locale. It really isn’t that great to tour with your coworkers, at least compared to going on a relaxing vacation on your own terms.
- nisegami 5y ago
  Linus from LinusTechTips has done basically this (a while ago when the team was smaller). Take the team to Mexico (which includes his wife). They made videos while there of course, but I imagine there was some downtime for everyone except maybe Linus?
inglor_cz 5y ago
"Oh, and we decide when you take those vacations." This is sort-of normal elsewhere, actually. Even in Europe, employer has sway over vacations. Not a dictatorial power, but No will often be No for a certain period. It makes sense in many industries; you can't have a power plant running with too few qualified people present. Edit: downvoted for a perfectly neutral response. Yes, looking at my own country's labor code, vacations are determined by the employer. They will likely meet you halfway and approve vacations for July and August (slow season) without too much hassle, but they do not have to. As said above, it makes sense; certain skeleton crews must be maintained at all times in many industries.
- radres 5y ago
  In Europe, worked in couple of countries. All the employers had the right to force you to take vacation at a certain date I have never seen it done. I am talking about software industry ofc.
  - inglor_cz 5y ago
    Software is more permissive, yes. OTOH doctors are very used to have their options limited by the hospital they work in.
    - saiya-jin 5y ago
      In Switzerland for example, doctors can take vacation as they want (apart form Christmas/New Year/Easter when its strictly managed by hospital), but they need to apply 6-12 months in advance. Another example of the situation above are factory workers, ie in Germany there are millions of cars moving south every summer during specific weeks valid for their part of the country, when +-whole factory goes out.
      - Scoundreller 5y ago
        > In Switzerland for example, doctors can take vacation as they want (apart form Christmas/New Year/Easter when its strictly managed by hospital) You need a more diverse workforce. Where I am, the Persian guy will work every Jan 1 as long as we guarantee him the first day of spring off. The Muslim lady will do Dec 24/25 as long as she gets some other specific day off. The hard days to schedule are “family day” and other non-cultural holidays.
        thaumasiotes 5y ago
        > You need a more diverse workforce. Where I am, the Persian guy will work every Jan 1 as long as we guarantee him the first day of spring off. This is only a solution some of the time. I worked through Christmas / New Year's at eBay the year I joined, because I hadn't accrued enough vacation for it to make sense to take vacation. But there was no work to do, because... everyone else was on vacation. Having me in the office benefited no one.

muzani 5y ago

CEO to employees: It's an exotic trip to a remote Thai island we have all to ourselves! CEO to shareholders: It's a tax deductible 3-day meeting and team building exercise! CEO to spouse: Hey, jet skiing in Thailand was on your bucket list, right?

danjac 5y ago
Developers: I get to change my default external background image to tropical-island.jpg for a month
seanmcdirmid 5y ago
When I worked for Microsoft China we’d have a group offsite every year to some Chinese city or other Asian locale. It really isn’t that great to tour with your coworkers, at least compared to going on a relaxing vacation on your own terms.
nisegami 5y ago
Linus from LinusTechTips has done basically this (a while ago when the team was smaller). Take the team to Mexico (which includes his wife). They made videos while there of course, but I imagine there was some downtime for everyone except maybe Linus?

inglor_cz 5y ago

"Oh, and we decide when you take those vacations." This is sort-of normal elsewhere, actually. Even in Europe, employer has sway over vacations. Not a dictatorial power, but No will often be No for a certain period. It makes sense in many industries; you can't have a power plant running with too few qualified people present. Edit: downvoted for a perfectly neutral response. Yes, looking at my own country's labor code, vacations are determined by the employer. They will likely meet you halfway and approve vacations for July and August (slow season) without too much hassle, but they do not have to. As said above, it makes sense; certain skeleton crews must be maintained at all times in many industries.

radres 5y ago
In Europe, worked in couple of countries. All the employers had the right to force you to take vacation at a certain date I have never seen it done. I am talking about software industry ofc.
- inglor_cz 5y ago
  Software is more permissive, yes. OTOH doctors are very used to have their options limited by the hospital they work in.
  - saiya-jin 5y ago
    In Switzerland for example, doctors can take vacation as they want (apart form Christmas/New Year/Easter when its strictly managed by hospital), but they need to apply 6-12 months in advance. Another example of the situation above are factory workers, ie in Germany there are millions of cars moving south every summer during specific weeks valid for their part of the country, when +-whole factory goes out.
    - Scoundreller 5y ago
      > In Switzerland for example, doctors can take vacation as they want (apart form Christmas/New Year/Easter when its strictly managed by hospital) You need a more diverse workforce. Where I am, the Persian guy will work every Jan 1 as long as we guarantee him the first day of spring off. The Muslim lady will do Dec 24/25 as long as she gets some other specific day off. The hard days to schedule are “family day” and other non-cultural holidays.
      - thaumasiotes 5y ago
        > You need a more diverse workforce. Where I am, the Persian guy will work every Jan 1 as long as we guarantee him the first day of spring off. This is only a solution some of the time. I worked through Christmas / New Year's at eBay the year I joined, because I hadn't accrued enough vacation for it to make sense to take vacation. But there was no work to do, because... everyone else was on vacation. Having me in the office benefited no one.