In many parts of Europe, it’s common for workers to take off weeks at a time, especially during the summer. Envious Americans say it’s time for the U.S. to follow suit.

Some 66% of U.S. workers say companies should adopt extended vacation policies, like a month off in August, in their workplaces, according to a Morning Consult survey of 1,047 U.S. adults.

  • Jagermo@feddit.de
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    11 months ago

    I know lots of us people with “unlimited time off” type contracts. No one ever takes more than a week because they are afraid that their bosses wouldnt like it.

        • Jagermo@feddit.de
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          11 months ago

          In Germany, you get at least 28 days of holidays per year. Company even has to budget for them, so if you don’t take them, it creates a huge headache for them in regards to finalizing their yearly results because they might have to keep money back. Sorry, I don’t have the correct economical term, in German it is a Rückstellung. So there is a very high insentive to get all of your people to take their holidays, because otherwise it’s a pain in the ass and will delay everything.

          • lud@lemm.ee
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            11 months ago

            Does Germany also have a maximum amount of days an employee can save before they are legally required to take them out?

    • markr@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Yeah because it’s a fucking scam who’s primary purpose is to eliminate pto liability from their accounting. It’s the equivalent of the 401k scam that eliminated corporate pension plans as a standard benefit.

      • agent_flounder@lemmy.one
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        11 months ago

        For some that’s true.

        But we undergo a great deal of brainwashing. Unions are demonized, billionaires lionized, puritanical (insane) work ethic lauded, anything less than that vilified, etc.

        Attempts at unionization are aggressively subverted and crushed by large corpos.

        And most people are given just enough to not want to risk it all to get a bit more.

        It will be a while, yet, before US culture shifts enough that more people side with unions, join unions, and build critical mass. Although, younger generations seem to be more aware of the anti-labor BS more than my gen (x) was at a similar age.

      • HellAwaits@lemm.ee
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        11 months ago

        Yeah, they’re so afraid to unionize that…they unionized in Starbucks, UPS, railroads, hospitals, maintenance management…

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      If you get such a contract, make sure to read it closely. I had it once, phrased more like “there is no policy restricting time off”. It’s really up to your manager and it means there is an invisible limit that may be different for everyone, you won’t know about until you hit it.

      In my case, I had a good manager, but sure enough, got dinged after taking off two weeks in the year (the worst part was no actual vacation but individual days off for kid’s appointments). I much prefer an actual limit, because then you can take it

    • _Sc00ter@lemmy.ml
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      11 months ago

      My company has this and just about everyone I work with utilizes the unlimited time off. Most people land in the 5-6 weeks of vacation a year + sick + personal business + holidays.

      There are the few who make work their hobby too, but you can’t do anything for those people IMO

    • electriccars@startrek.website
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      11 months ago

      If I’m stuck in the USA, I’m gonna find an unlimited time of job and actually use that benefit like Europeans. Fuck American work culture.

      • AA5B@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        I’m sure you’ll keep that job for several months. The other part of American “work culture” is how quickly and easily we can lose that job. Be happy that you have some worker protection

    • toynbee@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      I’ve been told that generally, this is so the company doesn’t have to pay you back for unused PTO if you leave the company.

      I can’t vouch for this as true, but it makes sense.