# Mugs



## Divisive Cotton (Aug 21, 2006)

· Survey shows 40% will not take summer break 
· Quarter of private-sector staff get no paid holiday

http://travel.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1854768,00.html

The land of the not-so-free


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Aug 21, 2006)

> The average American gets a little less than four weeks of paid time off, including public holidays, compared with 6.6 weeks in the UK - where the law requires a minimum of four weeks off for full-time workers - and 7.9 weeks for Italy


   


Sorry for derailing


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## Yuwipi Woman (Aug 21, 2006)

Yep.  I took two weeks last year ... almost all of it to take care of an elderly parent.  I got labeled as an overuser of vacation time.   All this while working a second, part-time job.


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## Gavin Bl (Aug 29, 2006)

Divisive Cotton said:
			
		

> The land of the not-so-free



I'm not sure the American conception of freedom ever really encompassed paid holidays...


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## phildwyer (Aug 29, 2006)

Its a bit harsh to call them "mugs" though, what choice do they have?


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## Gavin Bl (Aug 30, 2006)

phildwyer said:
			
		

> Its a bit harsh to call them "mugs" though, what choice do they have?



It doesn't matter phil, they're Americans - so Xenophobia is OK....


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## phildwyer (Aug 30, 2006)

Gavin Bl said:
			
		

> It doesn't matter phil, they're Americans - so Xenophobia is OK....



People often forget just how bloodily the radical American unions were crushed in the twenties.  Calling American workers "mugs" for not having holidays is like calling Palestinians "mugs" for living in refugee camps.


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## poster342002 (Sep 1, 2006)

Yuwipi Woman said:
			
		

> Yep.  I took two weeks last year ... almost all of it to take care of an elderly parent.  I got labeled as an overuser of vacation time.


How can you be "overusing" something that, I presume, is a statutory/contractual entitlement?


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## Yuwipi Woman (Sep 1, 2006)

poster342002 said:
			
		

> How can you be "overusing" something that, I presume, is a statutory/contractual entitlement?



I know.  You can see the point of contention I have.  

Technically, since I've been here so long, I'm entitled to three weeks vacation and 5 sick days a year.  I never use all of it and have racked up about 400 hours of unused vacation and 150 hours of unused sick time.  Totals up to three months.

In a way I see their point.  I'm the only one who does my job and when other people in the department are gone, I fill in for them (I've done every job in the department at one time or another).  During the last month, I was responsible for three people's jobs (including mine).

<edited to add>
On the other hand, when I had an illness in the family.  They let me go take care of that for two months and they paid my vacation time the whole time.  I also kept my job.


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