I'm an American working in the u.s. for a company based in Germany. They have soooo many more days off than us. They're out at least 3 months of the year before taking additional PTO. They like to bring their European values of work to the u s. But unfortunately that doesn't mean that I get any more off time. I save all year from January to December and if I never took any of it my PTO amounts to 3 weeks. If you're an American they have different standards for you because american work culture means getting fucked and hating your life lol.
That being said I still feel like the days I get are generous and I am happy and grateful. But that's only because I used to get nothing at my old job. It's only crappy if I compare to others which is the thief of joy and whatnot.
My wife got her first pay check last week at her new job in a US school district. I was certain something was wrong when it came in, but the pay stub did nothing to show the breakdown of hours, rate, etc. She finally got a response today - and I've learned that school breaks are NOT PTO. She gets zero PTO she can take during the school year, and while frustrating not to be able to choose when you take your time off, I assumed that was just because she gets the summer off. But apparently she gets no PTO AND takes 71 days out of the year off without pay, effectively. So they do you the favor of paying you over 12 months, but you still only get paid for hours worked. The rate of pay seemed like it would be a pay raise on the surface, but I never anticipated needing to dock it by 20%.
Zero PTO. Just the perks of American life.
The most heinous thing is lack of required sick time. And who is it that's least likely to get paid sick time? Customer service, of course, the ones coughing and sneezing all over your clothes and food.
I get 5 weeks.
In the US.
Thanks to a union.
And I get paid the hours on top of regular pay at the end of the year if I don’t use the vacation. Nobody gives you a second thought if you use your vacation. Zero pressure not to fuck off for a week or more.
Go Union.
35 days hols per year, would be 27 or something but they give us the English bank holidays as part of our allocation (am Scottish but it’s UK company).
28 days + 8 Bank Holidays. Easter is great, you can have 16 days not at work, and only use 8 days holiday. (Good Friday and Easter Monday are Bank holidays, and I don't work weekends)
