How Much Annual Leave Do You Get?

[F1guynz]

Hi,

I was just curious to know how many weeks annual leave people receive for their holidays each year.

In New Zealand we get 4 weeks (20 days) per year with another 2 weeks (11 days) for public holidays such as Christmas and Easter.

I also get long service leave which entitles me to another 5 weeks which I can use anytime over the next 10 years.

We normally do one cruise a year of between 7-14 days and then do a land based holiday for the other weeks left over. 

 

[BunnyHutt]

In the US it can definitely vary between type of position worked, seniority of said position and tenure with the employer. 

It is not uncommon to start with 1-2 weeks vacation, plus paid public holidays. And then it goes up from there. 

I ‘retired’ last year at the ripe old age of 40 and had 4 weeks vacation when I left my most recent employer, with whom I had been in a managerial position for 7 years. 

[WAAAYTOOO]

Dan and I both get 5 weeks (200 hours) plus 11 federal holidays so a total of ~7 weeks.  The very fortunate part of our vacation schedule is that we can go any time we want to go.  Our only limitations are around our own work priorities.

[rjac]

I have all my weekends off and only have a "workday" every other Monday........I'm retired and volunteer at our local NC Aquarium every other Monday. 

[kittysoul]

In my current position, I receive 28 days of  paid time off time, plus 2 personal days and 6 federal holidays....

[GregD]

Next year I will have 13 days that I can take off. I’m a career firefighter and I work 24 hour shifts, so “one day off“ is 24hrs. The nice thing with my schedule is I can take two work days off, but actually have 16 days off. 

[Curt From Canada]

Canada is very much dependent of years of service.  My current company gives:

0-10 years = 3 weeks

10-15 years = 4 weeks

15-20 years = 5 weeks

20+ years = 6 weeks

plus most provinces give 13 statutory holidays per year

Every single one of those days is required for cruising.

 

[Phillo]

Being Australian, I get the required 20 work days (4 weeks) as annual leave.   On top of that, being in the public service, i also get the short break between christmas and new year off without using annual leave. (with public holidays thrown in, it works out to about 10 days actual leave).

Also... as I have been here for 17 years, I have long service leave and still have 16 weeks available to me to use!   (i am using 2 of those for our cruise in november!!)

[KathyC]

I get 10 days (2 weeks), plus about 8 holidays each year.  We aren't closed for every public holiday, ie I work on President's Day, but will be off both Christmas Eve & Day, depending on the day of the week they fall on.  If Easter falls after April 15th, I may get Good Friday off too.  If it falls before April 15, well, I'm working on Easter Sunday.  LOL 

[SpeedNoodles]

I earn 340 hours a year plus can take any OT as comp time.  We have been so short-staffed for the past 4 years that we can't actually take most of the time and have to switch shifts with someone else if we need a day off (so not actually time off, just time redistributed).  Because we are 24/7, 365, I cannot take holidays off, and only have them off if they fall on a day off (so group cruises scheduled over holidays disappoint me).

[FManke]

Not enough!

[Wnuk]

Being self employed I get no paid vacation days, sick days, or paid holidays. I am the worst boss I ever had 

What I do get is tons of satisfaction knowing I am making on my own. 

[JLMoran]

I get 20 days (4 weeks), plus 3 personal days and all federal holidays where the NYSE is closed (typically 9 days). That’s what I’ve had since I was hired at my current job 11 years ago, and I won’t qualify for another week until I’ve been there for 20 years. Of course, by that point I’ll be 58 and giving serious thought to trying to retire early; or at least transition to a much lower-key job since I’ll most likely be an empty nester at that point.

We do get the option at my company of “buying” another week off, which really boils down to giving back a week’s salary over the course of the year. Stupid option, I’ll just take a week of unpaid leave if it comes to that; same difference in the end.

[Koki]

30 days annual leave,15 days sick leave, 10 days family leave.

[spiralqueen]

It’s funny, in my mind I get 2 weeks vacation time. However I just did the math and I get 19 days per year (so just shy of 4 weeks) plus major federal holidays. However my PTO doubles as both vacation time and sick days so I don’t like to plan on using every single day for vacations as it wouldn’t allow me the flexibility to call out if I’m not feeling well. We don’t get off for things like Presidents’ Day or Columbus Day (not NYSE or court house rules) but I honestly can’t complain. My work is very flexible as far as allowing me to take time off which is nice. It means I can plan 2 and a half years in advance and not worry about not being able to get the time off (.....knock on wood. Don’t want to jinx myself!) 

[Auto]

I earn 30 days/year, and can carry up to 60 days on the books. In addition to that are Federal holidays, most weekends, and random days granted off. However, if I am outside of the local area those days, it counts against me.

[F1guynz]

I am surprised by the number of days most people get.

I had always heard people in the U.S didn't get much time off which is why a lot of the cruises are seven days or less.

Now I wonder why they don't offer the odd 14 day itinerary on an Oasis ship as I am sure you could fit in more port visits if you only had to return to a home port once.

 

[spiralqueen]

Just now, F1guynz said:

I am surprised by the number of days most people get.

I had always heard people in the U.S didn't get much time off which is why a lot of the cruises are seven days or less.

Now I wonder why they don't offer the odd 14 day itinerary on an Oasis ship as I am sure you could fit in more port visits if you only had to return to a home port once.

 

I know for me, personally, even though I get close to a month worth of vacation time I get some serious side eye from coworkers and my superiors if I use more than 6 or 7 days in a row. My coworker went to Italy for 2 weeks and had some comments when he came back from the owners about how long he was away. It goes over better if it’s spaced out. 

[MicDay]

Wow, I thought I had a lot.  Compare to you guys I'm doing ok.

I've been with my company for 18 plus years

At 22 years you max out with 6 weeks vacation

I get 5 weeks vacation, 10 plus days sick/personal (anything over 10 gets paid out at end of year)

All major Holidays and every weekend.

Husband had to change jobs (loves this one)

He's been there a year and has 2 weeks and a "birthday" day off

He sets his own schedule so he can work heavy early in the week and take a long weekend off.

 

[Phillo]

9 minutes ago, F1guynz said:

I am surprised by the number of days most people get.

I had always heard people in the U.S didn't get much time off which is why a lot of the cruises are seven days or less.

Now I wonder why they don't offer the odd 14 day itinerary on an Oasis ship as I am sure you could fit in more port visits if you only had to return to a home port once.

I am surprised as well.

The thing is.... for us (Australia and New Zealanders) its so far away from anything.  Any of our short cruise itineraries are generally 3 days to nowhere!

I have read somewhere that all the major cruiselines would like Brisbane (in Australia) to have its cruise facilties upgraded because it becomes easier to offer 7 day itineries to the south pacific islands.

My wife and I went on a south pacific cruise from sydney earlier this year (not RCI) it was a minimum 2 sea days traveling just to get to the first stop!  I get a little jealous of the cruises mentioned on here going to the caribbean islands from Florida.  A quick 3 day jaunt here or there!!! sounds awesome.

[Vanessa77]

6 minutes ago, spiralqueen said:

I get some serious side eye from coworkers and my superiors if I use more than 6 or 7 days in a row. 

That's crazy! I'm located in Aus, and taking just a week off seems like such a cop out. If you only take a week off you can't even get anywhere. Takes 24 hours to get to Europe, 14 to get to the US; and that's only 1 way! Only place you could conceivable go with just 1 week off is South East Asia, and I am not one keen on repeating holiday destinations.

Taking your full 4 weeks over here is pretty normal.

[spiralqueen]

17 hours ago, Vanessa77 said:

That's crazy! I'm located in Aus, and taking just a week off seems like such a cop out. If you only take a week off you can't even get anywhere. Takes 24 hours to get to Europe, 14 to get to the US; and that's only 1 way! Only place you could conceivable go with just 1 week off is South East Asia, and I am not one keen on repeating holiday destinations.

Taking your full 4 weeks over here is pretty normal.

I think part of it is cultural since there are so many places to go so easily from where we are. We could easily drive a couple of hours and spend time in another major US city like New York City, Baltimore, Washington DC, etc. And that’s not even counting how quick it is to fly to various places from here. Now mind you, they will LET you take more than a week off at a  time if you request it. I just don’t like dealing with the passive aggressive, half joking comments. So part of that is self imposed. 

 

......that being said I feel no guilt at going on a 11 day sailing over my birthday in Jan 2021 (EEE SO EXCITED!) 

[Phillo]

1 minute ago, Vanessa77 said:

That's crazy! I'm located in Aus, and taking just a week off seems like such a cop out. If you only take a week off you can't even get anywhere. Takes 24 hours to get to Europe, 14 to get to the US; and that's only 1 way! Only place you could conceivable go with just 1 week off is South East Asia, and I am not one keen on repeating holiday destinations. 

 

Yep. I think Australians (and NZ'ers) are conditioned to long travel times too!  I have heard @Matt mention on the podcast that he couldnt spend 14 hours on a plane (well  a  bit longer from florida) to come out to Australia for a cruise!!!! I would jump on a 14 hour flight to LA right now if i had the chance!

My wife and I went from Australia to Paris for a quick 8 day getaway a few years ago.  Its only 21 hours each way! hahaha.  (admittedly the cost of the fares were incredibly cheap).

All said and done though... it doesnt matter how much leave you get, its just that we are lucky enough to travel and spend time doing what we enjoy no matter how long it is.

[Koki]

I once took off for an 8 weeks vacation to SE Asia.  I was a little worried that someone might be in my office when I got back.

I sure did not want them getting use to being without me there.  You want to feel somewhat essential to what they do and to struggle doing without you there.

Came back forgot most my work passwords, lol.  

 

 

[fonemanbob]

Five weeks  Federal Holidays. 9 assorted days.  And if you are on vacation the week of a holiday you get an extra vacation day.  After I was there  20 years I would take a least 4 weeks vacation during holidays so that was another 4 more days off.  I would also work the Sunday before my vacation and if you work Sunday you get the following Friday off.  And I would be off on Monday after my vacations and then had to work the following Saturday.   That scenario gave so many more  days off it was  a great bonus.