America does not guarantee time off. How much time you get off is ENTIRELY up to your employer.
Which sucks, because while my employer is VERY generous, my wife’s is not. So, realistically, we can’t go anywhere or do anything because she’s not allowed.
Example:
July 4th Holiday:
My office is shutting down 7/1 to 7/5. Counting weekends, I have 9 days off in a row.
My wife? July 4th. A Thursday. They aren’t even decent enough to make it a Thursday/Friday so she can have 4 days off in a row.
So while I have the opportunity and the means to go do something nice, get out of town, travel, do SOMETHING, my wife, at best, has Saturday/Sunday. That’s it.
Do you know how hard it is to do something nice when you only have 2 days off and part of that has to be spent travelling there and back?
She would LOVE to see Washington D.C., we could go, see maybe one place (Library of Congress) then have to pack up and head back home.
What’s the point? New Orleans? Hawaii? Yeah, no.
The last time we did anything, it was for her birthday and she had to ask for an extra day off 3 months ahead of time so we could do a Friday-Saturday-Sunday thing.
Yeah, we get a Winter Break overlapping with Christmas and New Years, but I also have a sabbatical this year that I’m wrapping around Thanksgiving too, so I’m off I think starting 11/15 and not back until 1/6? Something like that.
Meanwhile my wife gets 2 days each for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Any other paid time she has to request 3 months in advance.
So, yeah, we’re kind of stuck. And it’s not like I can go “OK, headed to Vegas! See you in a week!” Well, not if I want to STAY married… :)
America does not guarantee time off. How much time you get off is ENTIRELY up to your employer.
Which sucks, because while my employer is VERY generous, my wife’s is not. So, realistically, we can’t go anywhere or do anything because she’s not allowed.
Example:
July 4th Holiday:
My office is shutting down 7/1 to 7/5. Counting weekends, I have 9 days off in a row.
My wife? July 4th. A Thursday. They aren’t even decent enough to make it a Thursday/Friday so she can have 4 days off in a row.
So while I have the opportunity and the means to go do something nice, get out of town, travel, do SOMETHING, my wife, at best, has Saturday/Sunday. That’s it.
Do you know how hard it is to do something nice when you only have 2 days off and part of that has to be spent travelling there and back?
She would LOVE to see Washington D.C., we could go, see maybe one place (Library of Congress) then have to pack up and head back home.
What’s the point? New Orleans? Hawaii? Yeah, no.
The last time we did anything, it was for her birthday and she had to ask for an extra day off 3 months ahead of time so we could do a Friday-Saturday-Sunday thing.
This is the shit that stings the most. A company I previously worked for wouldn’t even give the Friday after Thanksgiving off.
that sounds like jail
You are close to getting it
I do get it, that’s why I live in Europe. It’s just shocking to read about such cartoonishly evil treatment of humans.
That’s why they call it wage slavery
And then Christmas this year is on a Wednesday. Ugh.
Yeah, we get a Winter Break overlapping with Christmas and New Years, but I also have a sabbatical this year that I’m wrapping around Thanksgiving too, so I’m off I think starting 11/15 and not back until 1/6? Something like that.
Meanwhile my wife gets 2 days each for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Any other paid time she has to request 3 months in advance.
So, yeah, we’re kind of stuck. And it’s not like I can go “OK, headed to Vegas! See you in a week!” Well, not if I want to STAY married… :)
Most companies in my country close down from Dec 24 - Jan 2. Some even earlier.
Dont forget, if you use vacation time on the 3rd and 5th. They don’t pay out the day off for the 4th as a holiday.