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Your last paragraph seems like such a good idea, its tough to understand why it hasn't happened. (I would definitely be at 85%, and I would accept a lower "bas

Your last paragraph seems like such a good idea, its tough to understand why it hasn't happened. (I would definitely be at 85%, and I would accept a lower "base" to have to option!) I think the biggest reason is that time off is fairly disruptive. You need to coordinate that not everyone is off at the same time. If someone is waiting for you, your time off will prevent them from working. It takes time to "recover" from time off, etc. I'm not sure how significant these issues are, but I bet they get you to the point that you might have second thoughts. (Would you work 85% the hours for 60% the pay?) That said, you'd think there are some fields where the above isn't an issue, and they would implement it. I don't know any examples.

time_management 18y ago
Here's the real reason Americans don't get more vacation: although large companies allowed to be notoriously uneven in terms of compensation, they still attempt to maintain a veneer of bureaucratic fairness. For example, each employee gets the same health package (although the CEO is paid well enough to self-insure, but never mind that) and all are treated as "equal" (sort of) in internal mediation/discipline matters. This also applies to vacation allotments, which are generally a single-variable function of seniority, with a few special cases that can be negotiated. The problem is that every corporation has some component that is perennially understaffed, wearing its people down to the felt, and the VP representing it realizes that his division cannot tolerate the prospect of employees having a week or two more off. So any time an officer suggests increasing vacation instead of salaries, the VP vetoes it. At and above this VP's level, vacation allotments are irrelevant (they're either high enough that they can take time off whenever they want... or in pressure-cooker companies, high enough that they never get time off), so there's no personal push from above on this issue. Occasionally the VP of R&D will point out that the company's meager vacation allowance is preventing him from getting top talent, especially from overseas; the CEO will quietly pull him aside and tell him that he can make some exceptions to "the policy" and no one will know.
- taw 18y ago
  In Europe minimum vacation time is simply legislated, just like minimum wages, minimum notice periods, and so on. It's in public interest to require that people are treated well, even if it reduces economic efficiency by a tiny bit. Not treating people well has a much higher cost in social capital.

time_management 18y ago

Here's the real reason Americans don't get more vacation: although large companies allowed to be notoriously uneven in terms of compensation, they still attempt to maintain a veneer of bureaucratic fairness. For example, each employee gets the same health package (although the CEO is paid well enough to self-insure, but never mind that) and all are treated as "equal" (sort of) in internal mediation/discipline matters. This also applies to vacation allotments, which are generally a single-variable function of seniority, with a few special cases that can be negotiated. The problem is that every corporation has some component that is perennially understaffed, wearing its people down to the felt, and the VP representing it realizes that his division cannot tolerate the prospect of employees having a week or two more off. So any time an officer suggests increasing vacation instead of salaries, the VP vetoes it. At and above this VP's level, vacation allotments are irrelevant (they're either high enough that they can take time off whenever they want... or in pressure-cooker companies, high enough that they never get time off), so there's no personal push from above on this issue. Occasionally the VP of R&D will point out that the company's meager vacation allowance is preventing him from getting top talent, especially from overseas; the CEO will quietly pull him aside and tell him that he can make some exceptions to "the policy" and no one will know.

taw 18y ago
In Europe minimum vacation time is simply legislated, just like minimum wages, minimum notice periods, and so on. It's in public interest to require that people are treated well, even if it reduces economic efficiency by a tiny bit. Not treating people well has a much higher cost in social capital.