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66% of Americans say they want extended European-style vacation policies at work

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211–220 of 353 posts

Re: 66% of Americans say they want extended European-style vacation policies at work

#211

I'll take 5x the salary over a measly 20 extra vacation days any day, thanks. 70k a year for a highly skilled software dev is an absolute joke. At least that allows me to generate wealth and retire 20-30 years sooner compared to your average German.

German retirement age is 66. So unless you are very young I guess you're retired now? How's that going?

Also congrats on the $350,000 salary as a dev at the age of 30. There's no one in Europe making that as dev, not even in the Netherlands or Switzerland, not even close!

Re: 66% of Americans say they want extended European-style vacation policies at work

#212
post #53

I‘ve been to the US for a long vacation (4,5 weeks or with traveltime and rest day before and after a whole month). I was able to do this because I have 35 days of vacation (a bonus program from my employer, stay more then x years and your vacation days increase. I have the maximum after 7 years) While I was traveling through south California and Arizona I dreamed how awesome it would be to live here and be able to v…

I get ~28 vacation days per year in the US, and I've only been with my company for 5 years. It's going to heavily depend on your industry and level of experience. Even outside of vacation I also have a pretty relaxed work/life balance. If I want to visit family for 2 weeks but not take a bunch of vacation my boss isn't going to care if I work half days remote the whole time.

Re: 66% of Americans say they want extended European-style vacation policies at work

#213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a very good wage for mid level dev. Which City?

Don't want to give too many details but it's in NRW close to Cologne.

Aren't rents there insane?

Re: 66% of Americans say they want extended European-style vacation policies at work

#214
post #4

> While the average American is lucky to get 11 vacation days WHAT? Does that count sick days as well, or is that a myth? Here in Germany, I get 30 vacation days per calendar year, plus any sick days, and thats fairly normal. Edit: Sure the absolute salaries here are lower, but the cost of living is vastly different and the social support structures and healthcare are different, too. That should definitely be kept in…

> Here in Germany, I get 30 vacation days Does this include public holidays? Or do you have public holidays?

public holidays are not included iirc

Re: 66% of Americans say they want extended European-style vacation policies at work

#215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Salaries are so much lower than our American counterparts you'll be working right up until our government mandated retirement age, which is increasing. Our economic growth across the EU is stagnant. These are not things to be celebrated.

While all the sentences you wrote are technically correct, your point is wrong. > you'll be working right up until our government mandated retirement age As will an american, unless they're going to go without healthcare? Unless you're doing some _wild_ saving, paying for health insurance as you age is going to necessitate working. Health insurance for a couple (assuming you can get it and it covers anything that you…

You don't need to do _wild_ savings to retire at an age where you can enjoy your health in the US, as a tech worker.

Cost of living is skyrocketing where in the US and to what degree higher than its EU equivalent? The EU has borne the brunt of inflation so I'm having a hard time seeing where EU citizens are paying less to live than Americans.

> The horror. Personally, I'll take stagnant economic growth over statistics that get pumped by tech firms that are richer than entire countries in europe - Microsoft and Apple are individually worth more than Italy.

Ok. Economic growth is not a vanity metric for pumped up tech firms to move the needle on. Economic growth has direct effects on comparative quality of life. Trying to make some other, vaguely conspiratorial, equivalence is ignorant at the least.

Re: 66% of Americans say they want extended European-style vacation policies at work

#216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> As will an american, unless they're going to go without healthcare? Unless you're doing some _wild_ saving, paying for health insurance as you age is going to necessitate working. In the US, most highly-skilled senior engineers will be multi-millionaires in their 40s which means that they can immediately retire and pay out of pocket for private health insurance covering the entire family without even making a dent…

> Most capable senior engineers... What about the less capable though? Do we just forget they exist?

Or the capable engineers who can't/don't want to up and move to thousands of miles away from their lives.

Re: 66% of Americans say they want extended European-style vacation policies at work

#217
post #108

It's also worth pointing out that, in many European countries (Nordics, Italy, probably Germany as well?) it's perfectly ok to just take say most of July or August off, along with everyone else. It's disruptive to the business (to the point that it's taken into account when planning things), esp. in complex companies, where a couple of key managers or architects missing means an entire initiative can stall for the du…

One company I worked for enforced vacations. If someone from work absolutely had to call you on your vacation day, ask a question or password, anything, you'd get a do-over for your day. No one ever called anyone on vacation without a damn good reason. Checking and answering emails on vacation was discouraged as well

Re: 66% of Americans say they want extended European-style vacation policies at work

#218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

and taxes...

I pay a month worth of salary per year in France and I pay the same in Louisiana. 1/12 But in France you get something out of your taxes

You only pay 8.3% in tax in France? That sounds unrealistic.

Re: 66% of Americans say they want extended European-style vacation policies at work

#219

I’m concerned about the 21% who don’t want a better quality of life. What’s going on with them?

Some number of them may already have an equivalent amount of PTO.

That would be very selfish.

Re: 66% of Americans say they want extended European-style vacation policies at work

#220
post #93

I’m concerned about the 21% who don’t want a better quality of life. What’s going on with them?

They realize there is no such thing as free lunch. It’s an additional cost incurred by the employers that will translate into lower pay.

Can’t they afford holidays? They are the world first economy with a descent margin.
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