Comments on: Did You Know You Have No Legal Rights To Your Vacation?

By: jos

jos — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 14:59:30 +0000

well its good to know im not the only one who doesnt get paid time off… i work 6 days a week and dont get 1 damn paid day off and im the only one in my office that doesnt but thats another story

By: » LinkSwitch � A Roundup Of Great Links From Around The Web

» LinkSwitch � A Roundup Of Great Links From Around The Web — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 08:01:47 +0000

[...] finally, yet another reason to freelance – Did You Know You Have No Legal Rights To Your Vacation as a U.S. employee? Neither did [...]

By: Joseph Mark Jarvis

Joseph Mark Jarvis — Fri, 18 May 2007 06:26:29 +0000

Re: Bob Herbert’s New York Times op-ed supporting government mandating most businesses offer seven paid sick days per year…

For many of these employees, sick leave equates to unpaid leave. Why is it not an individual’s responsibility to save for the rainy days in their life?

I do have sympathy for those struggling in lower-wage jobs to better their financial situation. I give to private charities for this reason.

As a DC-based employee of the federal government, let me be the first to say that government mandates in the name of equal opportunity, while potentially effective at reaching the desired ends, involve messy means that create complex layers of restrictions on individual liberties (anyone filed their own taxes lately?).

By: MikeVx

MikeVx — Fri, 18 May 2007 00:43:22 +0000

Due to some prior experience in life, when my employer lifted the cap for accrued vacation, I let more accumulate. In the event of unemployment, I can claim my vacation time (paid at the last rate that applied) and use it as a form of employment-emergency fund. At the moment, I have a month in reserve.

Not the usual way to have an emergency fund, but it has worked before.

By: MJT

MJT — Thu, 17 May 2007 23:14:58 +0000

Bob Herbert from the NY Times wrote an interesting op-ed about this recently (only subscribers can access):
http://select.nytimes.com/2007/05/15/opinion/15herbert.html?n=Top%2fOpinion%2fEditorials%20and%20Op%2dEd%2fOp%2dEd%2fColumnists%2fBob%20Herbert

By: Amy F.

Amy F. — Thu, 17 May 2007 23:09:18 +0000

While I too feel that people should take responsibility for themselves in general, getting ample vacation time just isn’t as simple as choosing to work for an employer that offers the kind of vacation most people want. It’s not easy to find good vacation benefits, and many people do not have the luxury of holding out for the job with the best benefits–they have to take what they can get. Good luck starting off at a new company and getting four weeks off, whether they’re paid or unpaid!

Also, as Valerie noted, many people do not even take the small number of vacation days they are allotted, often because their jobs are so demanding that they can’t actually take time off. With so many workaholics in this country, many of them the ones running companies and making decisions about our vacation days, government mandated vacation would not be such a bad idea for those of us who think that a break from work is essential.

By: Joseph Mark Jarvis

Joseph Mark Jarvis — Thu, 17 May 2007 20:28:38 +0000

I completely disagree.

Why should the government be involved in a voluntary contract between a competent adult and an employer? If one wants vacation, one should work for an employer who offers it.

As you note, if employers must bear the cost of vacations to retain the employees they needs, then a majority of the market will (and currently does!) offer vacations.

Moreover, I think America’s divergence from Europe on this issue is nothing to be ashamed of. While the appropriate balance between individual liberties and equal opportunity are a spectrum, I’m reassured that the personal liberties central to the United States’ creation are still alive today.