OT-How much vacation time do you get

Submitted by Maximinus Thrax on
I feel like I am getting shafted on the vacation arrangements at work. I work about 6 weeks of overtime (but I am salaried) and I get 2 weeks of paid vacation a year. My boss takes about 6 weeks a year. I have 2.5 years experience in my field. Am I getting shafted?

Todd Plate's n…

July 10th, 2009 at 4:11 PM ^

do you receive any additional days in the foreseeable future? like at year 3 or anything? i recall getting 3 weeks my first job out of college (public accounting) and thinking that was great. i also remember thinking my friends who only got 2 were getting the shaft. i currently get 3ish.

Jeffro

July 10th, 2009 at 4:14 PM ^

No that sounds about reasonable. In many jobs it takes about 5yrs to get over that 2 week hump. Your boss gets different compensation because well, he's you boss. Just be happy you have a job that offers paid vacations or even be happy you have a job for that matter.

Wide Open

July 10th, 2009 at 4:31 PM ^

I don't know if it was being scared to death of my old boss (I'm at an accounting office and got only one week the first two years), but I would be scared to death to even call in late, let alone ask for the day off. Now we have student interns and they're taking one and two weeks off for trips to Vegas and California...after having worked here for less than two months. So if it ain't weird for them I guess it shouldn't be for you. Live a little: You're only young once.

Sandler For 3

July 12th, 2009 at 10:53 PM ^

I don't know how interns are paid at your office, but most interns are paid by the hour. So if you don't work for a week, you don't get paid for a week. Not saying that it should be acceptable for them to leave for a week, however a dollar saved is a dollar earned right? I'm just saying this because I'm currently an intern at a Civil Engineering firm, and when asking my boss if I could leave an hour early from work so that I could catch a train, he didn't even listen to my explanation. As soon as I said can I leave early he replied "Yes, you can take whatever days off you want. That means we don't have to pay you!" Needless to say, I feel very important.

MH20

July 10th, 2009 at 4:23 PM ^

When I started I got 9 days of vacation, 9 days of sick time, 3 days of personal time, and 3 days of bereavement. If I had started on the start of the fiscal year (July 1), I would have received 12 days of vacation. Now that the new fiscal year has begun, I should be getting bumped up to 15 vacation days (plus I get until December 31 to use up my 4 days remaining from the previous fiscal year). Not sure how much more sick and personal time I get, though I think sick time is bumped up to 12 days. I have been at my job for 10 months.

BlockM

July 10th, 2009 at 4:23 PM ^

It takes time. I get as much or little as I want right now as an hourly paid intern without much responsibility, though I'd probably be told I was an idiot if I took any more than a week. I believe my dad gets 7.5 weeks after working for 30ish years at the same company.

wildbackdunesman

July 10th, 2009 at 4:23 PM ^

I am a teacher so I get a lot of vacation time, but I can't really take time off during the school year and I do some preparation work for school in the summer. Try asking people in the same career/field etc.

TomVH

July 10th, 2009 at 4:30 PM ^

I got laid off about two weeks ago from the ad agency I was working at, so I've had about two weeks of vacation. Just be thankful you have a job. On that note, if anyone can offer any leads for something in AZ let me know.

TomVH

July 10th, 2009 at 4:57 PM ^

Ideally, something in marketing. I'm 26, and was the New Business Coordinator for an ad agency. I am a commissioner for a city's Domestic Violence board, and I also volunteer and do the marketing for www.specialspectators.org. They provide memorable days for seriously ill children and their families at college athletic events. Oh, and I also do this.

wolverine1987

July 11th, 2009 at 11:38 AM ^

I'm sorry to hear that, all too common these days unfortunately. I don't know of any openings, but an ex-boss of mine runs a small ad agency in Phoenix. The name of the agency is McMurry, and he is the President and a good guy. I don't speak to him much, but you could at least send your resume to him and see if anything develops. I will email Brian his name and email address right now.

trickydick81

July 10th, 2009 at 4:34 PM ^

You might make 10k less than market but you'll get a ton of time off. My job started at 24 days vacation a year and 12 days sick per year. Plus 19 holidays.

dieforM

July 10th, 2009 at 4:36 PM ^

This is my first year working for a public accounting firm, and I get 3 weeks paid vacation plus 3 "personal" days. I also do not have a fixed number of sick days (as long as you use within reason). I guess the big 4 accounting firms are where its at.

Maximinus Thrax

July 10th, 2009 at 8:39 PM ^

I work for a small accounting firm, therefore I get dicked. If I was working 40 hour weeks, or getting paid for overtime, that would be one thing. But three months of 65 hour work weeks with no overtime and then only 2 weeks of vacation is a raw deal.

david from wyoming

July 10th, 2009 at 4:38 PM ^

One of the many many pros about grad school is it doesn't matter how much time I take off. If research is getting done (or if it looks like research is getting done...) I can show up one or two days a week. Maybe less. I should try that out.

Maceo24

July 10th, 2009 at 4:39 PM ^

I work for a supplier in the automotive industry. It took 5 years before I got my 3 weeks. That's fairly standard around here (3-5 years before you get more than 2 weeks). All I know is that it WILL be a negotiation point when I look for my next job. No way am I backsliding on amount of vacation.

goody

July 10th, 2009 at 4:39 PM ^

Been with the company for 5 years and at 10 years you get an extra week. Now my wife, she gets 4 to 5 weeks a year depending on how much she works. The more she works the more vacation she accumulates.

umjgheitma

July 10th, 2009 at 4:39 PM ^

I get technically 2 weeks with an option to take 5 more days or sell those 5 days. Well now I have no option to sell those 5 days and must take them or lose them so really I get 15 days vacation. However, I am forced to take 4 days in July off and 3 days in December off as a part of company shut down. So I really only get 8 days of my choosing, so sounds to me like I'm getting more of the shaft than you are. It is a plus that I can use any overtime I work towards comp. time and use it for more vacation. I'll give myself a -1 for a really confusing ass answer.

MinorRage

July 10th, 2009 at 4:41 PM ^

Worked here a little over 2 years. I get about 3 full weeks vacation and 48 hours sick time each year. That will build up to just over 4 full weeks vacation after I get 5 years in.

Goblue89

July 10th, 2009 at 4:51 PM ^

Been with my company 2 years and we get 2 weeks vacation and a week of personal time plus 2 celebration days. The thing that I like is that it carrys over. We can carry over unlimited amount of vacation time plus a week of personal time for the following year. I work in sales and depending on the amount of revenue you bring in you can also get an extra week of vacation time.

pontoon

July 10th, 2009 at 4:56 PM ^

I just graduated in the spring and moved down to Little Rock for a new job this week. I will get two weeks vacation and its supposed to take me four years to get 3 weeks of vacation.

MichiganStudent

July 10th, 2009 at 5:10 PM ^

How do you like it down there? Do you have friends or family in the area, or are you just there for employment? I ask because I may have to take a job in a city/part of the country that I don't know anyone. Just wondering how it was adjusting to that type of situation.

pontoon

July 10th, 2009 at 6:54 PM ^

Well, I just got down here on Monday so I'm not sure how I like it yet. I don't know anyone or have any family down here so its been a little boring/lonely so far but I'm usually pretty good at meeting people. Everyone that I have met has been very nice though. My first day of work is on Monday so I'm looking forward to that at least. Another nice thing about living down here is the cost of living, I was able to get a brand new two bedroom apartment for $650/month. An apartment like mine would easily be $4000/month in Ann Arbor. On a side note, I was kind of worried about being able to find Labatts down here but to my surprise the liquor store at the corner sells it! I was ready to give the owner a hug.

MRG

July 10th, 2009 at 5:02 PM ^

Moved to 2.5 weeks after three years. Moved to 3 weeks after five years. However, all that excludes (soon to be not so) bountiful UAW-based holidays.

notetoself

July 10th, 2009 at 5:19 PM ^

i work for an automotive supplier. i get 3 weeks, plus some vague number of sick days. my suggestion: work for a german company. they give you an obscene amount of vacation days. but on the downside, you still feel like you're getting the shaft, because they get about twice as much vacation as you do.

mgoganksta

July 10th, 2009 at 5:22 PM ^

Started at 1 week then 2 weeks after 3 years and now 3 weeks after 5 years. I am in Cali now so I am taking my vacation this year to go to the Western and Notre Dame games.

CPS

July 10th, 2009 at 7:02 PM ^

I don't have a limit on the amount of vacation time, personal days, sick days, etc. As long as the work gets done, I can take what I want/need. With that said, before you say "Fuck you, CPS. I'd kick you in the chestnuts if I could, but I'll settle for this watermarked down arrow instead," understand that I haven't been able to take any vacation time or sick time in almost 5 years, the last time being time off for my wedding. No, wait...I took an extra day off for a 4 day weekend up to Mackinaw 3 years ago. I'm still running strong off that one. MLIA, FML or Sad Panda? You decide.

TIMMMAAY

July 11th, 2009 at 4:48 PM ^

I'm in the same boat; I can leave whenever, as long as shit gets done. Having said that, it's been about 18 months since a real (island) vacation. We go on mini-trips up north a lot, and Chicago back in Feb. That's about it. Edit: Sad Panda

restive neb

July 10th, 2009 at 6:53 PM ^

I work for an automotive supplier... I normally get 3 weeks of vacation (I've been here 10 years), but with the economic slow down, I now get an additional 24 days off this year -- although the additional days are unpaid, of course.

Ryan

July 10th, 2009 at 11:16 PM ^

3 weeks vacation, 12/13 holidays (depending on the year), and no sick time. I've been with the company for a little over three years. Looking back on it, it doesn't sound so hot. 4 of the vacation days are between Christmas and New Year's, so that's sort of like an extra week of vacation (don't remind me that that means I only get 8 other holidays a year.)

TheVictors97

July 11th, 2009 at 1:04 AM ^

At least 30 paid days per year for me, possibly as much as 42 per year depending on which schedule we work. I'm in my second year with this company. Our senior guys get 105 paid days of vacation per year. One of the benefits of being a pilot for a good company, which there aren't many of in aviation nowadays.