4 ms·

Want to be happy? Don't live in the UK

5 points by ila 15y ago

byoung2 15y ago
When they say the French get 36 days holiday, and the UK gets 28, is that holidays plus vacation? In the US, the average is 8 holidays and 10 days vacation, which seems absurdly low in comparison. Can someone clarify?
- DanBC 15y ago
  Public holidays ("bank holidays") in England: (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Timeoffandholidays/DG_073741 http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Timeoffandh...) We get eight days, sometimes with an extra day for special occasions (royal weddings, etc) Vacation ("holiday") is 28 days, but could include public holidays. (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Timeoffandholidays/DG_184563 http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Timeoffandh...) > All workers have a right to a minimum of 5.6 weeks paid annual leave, Sometimes workers might be forced to use some of their vacation over Christmas. Some low paid workers will use their annual paid sick leave as informal holiday to supplement their holidays. I worked with people who would tally off their 12 paid days on their holiday chart. This, obviously, makes things tricky for the employer. (That particular employer started asking people to provide doctors' notes for any sick day on a Monday or Friday, or any over 3 days. Since that's not a legal requirement doctors would charge for the letter. (NHS doctors are allowed to charge for some things) and so the employer was forced to take this cost. Since, at the time, it was hard to get to see a GP within 2 days employees would have to take time off work so they could see a doctor to get the sick note that would cover them for the time they had off earlier in the week. A 7 minute appointment would often be late; so an employer would need time to get to the appointment, time to wait, and time to get back. Since no-one knew how long they'd had to wait they would often do a bit of shopping while they were in town. This scheme did nothing to stop the lazy skyvers. But it did make things frustrating for the honest. tl:dr Cheap labour is not the only reason China is taking so many tech companies.)
  - byoung2 15y ago
    Thanks for the reply. As an American, I'm insanely jealous. Although I've effectively been following the European model by taking 6 weeks of vacation per year...I take my 2 weeks paid, and then another 4 weeks unpaid.
- DanBC 15y ago
  Also note: 28 days is bare knuckle minimum. Full time burger flipper? 28 days. Minimum wage mail-room clerk? 28 days.

5 points by ila 15y ago

When they say the French get 36 days holiday, and the UK gets 28, is that holidays plus vacation? In the US, the average is 8 holidays and 10 days vacation, which seems absurdly low in comparison. Can someone clarify?

DanBC 15y ago
Public holidays ("bank holidays") in England: (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Timeoffandholidays/DG_073741 http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Timeoffandh...) We get eight days, sometimes with an extra day for special occasions (royal weddings, etc) Vacation ("holiday") is 28 days, but could include public holidays. (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Timeoffandholidays/DG_184563 http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Timeoffandh...) > All workers have a right to a minimum of 5.6 weeks paid annual leave, Sometimes workers might be forced to use some of their vacation over Christmas. Some low paid workers will use their annual paid sick leave as informal holiday to supplement their holidays. I worked with people who would tally off their 12 paid days on their holiday chart. This, obviously, makes things tricky for the employer. (That particular employer started asking people to provide doctors' notes for any sick day on a Monday or Friday, or any over 3 days. Since that's not a legal requirement doctors would charge for the letter. (NHS doctors are allowed to charge for some things) and so the employer was forced to take this cost. Since, at the time, it was hard to get to see a GP within 2 days employees would have to take time off work so they could see a doctor to get the sick note that would cover them for the time they had off earlier in the week. A 7 minute appointment would often be late; so an employer would need time to get to the appointment, time to wait, and time to get back. Since no-one knew how long they'd had to wait they would often do a bit of shopping while they were in town. This scheme did nothing to stop the lazy skyvers. But it did make things frustrating for the honest. tl:dr Cheap labour is not the only reason China is taking so many tech companies.)
- byoung2 15y ago
  Thanks for the reply. As an American, I'm insanely jealous. Although I've effectively been following the European model by taking 6 weeks of vacation per year...I take my 2 weeks paid, and then another 4 weeks unpaid.
DanBC 15y ago
Also note: 28 days is bare knuckle minimum. Full time burger flipper? 28 days. Minimum wage mail-room clerk? 28 days.