Back to work! U.S. trails developed world in vacation time for workers, study finds

  • U.S. is only country in the developed world that doesn't require businesses to provide paid vacation days for employees
  • In Australia, businesses must provide employees with 35 paid days off
  • France and Italy each require businesses to provide employees with 31 paid days off

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 17:48 EST, 25 May 2013 | UPDATED: 17:52 EST, 25 May 2013

It may come as a surprise to many hardworking Americans, but governments in much of the developed world require employers to give employees varying amounts of paid vacation time. That, of course, is not the case in the land of the free and the home of the desperately-in-need-of-some-time-off, which has U.S. labor advocates calling for reforms to federal labor laws.

According to a recent study by the left-leaning Center for Economic and Policy Research, the U.S. is the only country out of 21 economically advanced nations to not mandate employers to provide paid vacation time to employees. While many U.S. business voluntarily offer paid vacation time to employees, the study found that roughly one in four U.S. workers have none.

Additionally, the study finds that those workers who don't have any paid vacation time are disproportionately employed at low-wage jobs that don't provide other benefits like health care.

Paradise: according to a recent study, only one in four American workers are given paid vacation time

Paradise: according to a recent study, only one in four American workers are given paid vacation time

The study included paid-vacation data from 16 European countries, as well as Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the U.S. Of the countries included in the study, Australia and Portugal offer employees the largest amount of paid days off, with a total of 35 - 22 for vacation days and 13 for holidays. Next on the list is France and Italy, each of which require employers to provide 31 paid days off.

 

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With the exception of the U.S. - which mandates no paid vacation days - Japan requires the fewest amount of paid vacation days with 10.

"It's time to bring them into the fold," economist John Schmitt, one of the authors of the study, told the Huffington Post. "There are firms that are profitable and do provide vacation. Frankly, it concerns me that someone's business model or success relies on not giving employees vacation."

Zero: the U.S. requires employers to provide precisely zero paid vacation days to employees

Zero: the U.S. requires employers to provide precisely zero paid vacation days to employees

In an effort to get the U.S. on track with the rest of the developed world, Florida Congressman Alan Grayson introduced a bill into Congress this week aimed at mandating paid vacation time for workers by amending the Fair Labor Standards Act to include paid vacation time for workers.

Under the bill, businesses with more than 100 employees would be required to provide a week's vacation to full-time employees, and part-time employees who've been employed for at least a year and are on the clock for at least 25 hours a week.

After the proposed law has been on the books for three years, the amount of paid vacation time required would increase to two weeks.

Down Under: Australia requires businesses to provide employees with a total of 35 paid days off

Down Under: Australia requires businesses to provide employees with a total of 35 paid days off

"Overwhelmingly, it's the low-income workers who don't get the paid vacation," Grayson told The Huffington Post. "This is accentuated by the fact that many people who don't get paid vacation only work 30 hours a week, or have less than a full-time job. These are the same workers who have no health care coverage and no benefits in general."

"We're really hurting ourselves, and specifically we're hurting the most vulnerable among us," he added. "If every other advanced country can do this, so can we."


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Yeah, so what? I am working the entire Memorial Day weekend, that's right, not one day off. I do this because it is part of the job and I don't feel sorry for myself. Because I am willing to do this and not complain and cry like a spoilt child, I have a good job and I get to keep it. It's people like me who help make America great. When I was younger I worked 2 jobs all the time, now I only have to work one because I paid my dues -- try it sometime!

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Vacation? In Obama's wrecked economy? Remember when the democrats said they would help the poor? That was the funniest joke ever, when I get time off it is to work somewhere else! Thanks democrats way to punish us poor folk! Democrats = evil liars

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I haven't had a vacation in 13 years I work 6 days a week and frankly I am tired out. Today is Sunday and I get the day off, but I am really too tired to do much.

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The richest country on earth maybe but where does the money go. - Doom, Dorset UK, 5/26/13, 7:30 AM To the welfare recipients

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Typically low skill jobs do not earn vacation time. (Yes sir, what would you like with your fries?)

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Another trick US companies use is to hire "temporary help" (not seasonal, which is different) using a Temp Agency, keep you on for YEARS and thus avoid having to pay any vacation, sick leave or medical benefits. My job is one that cannot be filled by just anyone; it takes a long time to perfect it and yet, the company does not see fit to make it a "permanent position". I am not paid very well, because the Temp Agency gets a cut of my salary. If I want medical benefits, I have to pay out of pocket for them, which would leave me with less than enough to pay my everyday needs, such as rent and car payment. I don't even get paid holidays; I'll be working on Memorial Day.

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We are ruled by our Corporate overlords. They say work, we work, because we are afraid of losing our jobs. It's a sad state they, and we as accessories, have created. Here's a hint though. Want a paid vacation, get a Union!

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Tis is what happens when you allow companies to pull the wool over your eyes at the hands of the media who swear up and down that unions are horibble. I am self employed so i have to put aside money for vacations and such and let my customer know in advance. It is one of the reasons I got out of the corp rat race cause every company screws their employees in some way or another. Capital is nothing without labor and labor is nothing with out capital. The balance in the US is now so skewed to Capital that the workers in most non-large cities are fighting for scraps. Maybe the new generation won't be so taken advantage of as us boomers die off finally.

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I think we are talking about mostly the service industry workers. Waitress', gas station attendants, store clerks, etc. Not only do they get low pay they get no vacation, no insurance, no holidays or weekends off. People act like its no big deal because its unskilled labor. They dont have a degree so they dont deserve the same consideration. Problem is, these jobs are just as necessary as any professionals. They work harder and get less of everything including respect. Now, because of obamacare they will also lose any chance at full time hours.

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It took me years of working FT to earn two weeks of vacation at my last job. Then they implemented a rule to our huge department where two people couldn't take vacation at the same time. You were actually made to feel guilty taking any vacation or sick time. This was a reputable company! I love and fully support the mandatory vacation time in other countries. We are a good country in other ways, but the average person is....if we are even luck enough to have work....is taxed to death, worked to death and then have no health insurance - so we just die with student loans or credti card debt and can't afford the overpriced funeral. lol.

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