I think it’s an absolute sin* the way American employers are with holiday (vacation) time! They should be ashamed!
I just asked M if he’d asked about holiday allocation during his interviews — can’t believe I’d forgotten to ask before, but it’s all been so busy and stressy around here that it completely slipped my mind. He said that every one was exactly the same: no holiday for the first year, then a week for years 2 and 3, rising to two weeks after the third year, and then three weeks after five years (ten years for one company).
Now, here in the UK we get four weeks as standard (and often five weeks if a company is generous), right from the get-go. Personally, I think four or five weeks is too much: there is always a rush at the end of the year for people to use up their remaining holiday, and I think that fact indicates that the balance is skewed. I think three weeks strikes a nice compromise — it’s enough for the employee, but not crippling to the employer.
That’s what it’s all about — striking a balance between the employer’s needs and the employee’s needs. Now, I understand that business is about increasing profit and keeping costs down, but NO holiday in the first year? Employers must recognise that their employees are people as well as workers. They don’t have to dole out the full holiday entitlement in the first year, but there is something bordering on the unethical and inhumane to expect an employee to slave away for an entire year without a single day off. If that somehow acceptable, I think employers need to have a hard look in the mirror and ask their reflection how they can square this policy with themselves.
For us, it means M will not be able to see his children for at least a year (unless his employer agrees to unpaid leave, which will be difficult to afford). And that we will not be able to have a single family holiday until year 4 because, when he eventually earns that one week in years 2 and 3, it will be used up going to see his kids in the UK. Although I knew that would be the case, it’s still hard to swallow.
I told M that I’d love to see him go self-employed at some point, and eventually take on his own employees and offer them three weeks from the start. He laughed, “They’d be flocking in!” But then said he’d rather offer 2 weeks for the first year, then rising to three weeks.
Fine. Either way, it is an improvement. It treats employees like human beings, worthy of basic respect, and would act as a very strong retention tool. I am amazed that American employers don’t see that themselves already. It is to their shame — and I am certain, to their longterm economic detriment — that they don’t.
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*When I say “sin” I mean it in the true sense of the word. I think it is a sin to treat one’s employees that way, in the same way I think it is a sin to not give to the poor or to walk past an injured man in the street. I do honestly believe that to treat others so unkindly and inhumanely is truly sinful. And shameful.
Stumble it!
I must say, I think that is bad even for the US
Most places I know of start you at 1 week at least, if not 2. 2 weeks is pretty standard until 3-10 years it seems to me.
Is he able to negotiate on the vacation at all? It seems really, really wrong that he doesn’t get *any* vacation in the first year. Can he ask for even just 3-4 days, and then use it in conjunction with an already-paid holiday?
What paid holidays does he get (if any??)?
Man, that is really lousy!
I agree with crayolaab. The company I worked for in America had three weeks to start. . . But it was Yahoo! and they are on the generous end with the bennies. It might be worthwhile to see if he can negotiate a week or two. . .
Vacation is one big reason why I will never want to move back. I think having those five weeks helps cut down on ‘sick days’ also.
Good luck to you and your family–
Thanks for the feedback, guys. It’s good to know that this isn’t universal in the US. I am guessing it’s more industry specific: M is looking for work in the construction industry, which may have different working practices to something more white collar (although, having said that, my cousin was an HR specialist for a large blue-chip, and she also had no holiday in her first year…).
As far as negotiating more holiday… it’s fairly unlikely. M isn’t really that experienced at negotiation like that. His week in the US was literally his first job interviews in 20 years, maybe ever — he got his last two jobs by just talking to people he knows, and had the job before that for 17 years. So, he’s not that experienced at even just basic interviewing, let alone re-negotiating their standard benefits.
He’s making some follow-up calls tomorrow though, so I will suggest it. We shall see…
Yep, sounds like my job in Chicago, except after the first year, we got 2 weeks vacation the second year. BUT I still had some personal days and holidays (Christmas, etc) that first year. So perhaps he would still have some days off?
I live and work in the US and when I first read your post, I was surprised, I compared his situation to mine. I did in fact receive reasonable vacation my first year of employment I believe it was 2 or 3 weeks. Then I remembered that the company I work for is a large Corporation and the Main Headquarters in is London, England. That is probably one of the reasons we do receive vacation in our first year. In most other jobs I have had however, I will say that no vacation the first year is not uncommon and off the top of my head, I can think of two jobs I had that offered no paid vacation the first year.
In the States, career/work comes first… family time is a very distant second.
When we were working in NY, we (my husband and I) both received about 5 weeks holiday. Unfortunately, in the professional world, taking your entitled holiday would be like shooting yourself in the foot. It is never said aloud, but everyone knows that to get ahead, you put in the “facetime”. And when you are on holiday, you check your blackberry and call into the office–it’s not a “break” from work, it’s just a change of scenery.
So, even if you have “paid time off”, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you can take it.
The UK work/life balance is much more family friendly, but salaries are better in the US… it’s a tough choice.
Erin, according to the details I saw, he does get personal days, but the jobs I looked at offered only *one* day in the first year. So, no holiday, and only *one* personal day. I find that incredibly harsh and, frankly, I just don’t see what it really achieves for the business…? (except a certain amount of cost-saving, but it seems a pretty steep moral price to pay for that savings.)
bc, cheers for your input. It’s a shame he can’t somehow get transferred by a UK company, but that’s not going to happen in his line of work. The two jobs that gave you no vacation, what kind of jobs were they? Blue collar or white? High level or not?
Casey, your comment made me laugh!
At least in his line of work, there is no way to work while you’re on vacation. He’s a plumber, so he’s either at work or he’s not. So, when we *finally* do get to take some vacation, at least we will really get to be on vacation!!!