Get a Widget for this title
RSS FeedShould US workers be guaranteed more vacation time?
Title endorsed in part by:
Results so far:
| Yes | 75% | 491 votes | Total: 658 votes | |
| No | 25% | 167 votes |
Yes
Write now
Print
Invite a writer™
Add to FavoritesThe time has now come for change. This change will bring a new beginning to all Americans. This does include more time off to spend with family and friends and go away on vacation. Those that vote NO on this board, rest assure they are managers, business owners and employers alike.
NO, they don't want any employee to take a vacation, work work work and more work. I work in the accounting / finance private sector and I can say that with all the companies I've worked at, NONE have given me any paid time off. In fact, I lost one job working for a company that was in the restaurant sector, after 7 months working there I took 3 days off for Thanksgiving and was yelled at....told to "look for another job, we don't offer time off".
I thought that was an isolated event, happened again at another job and another. The new law that will come into play in 09 from the new Democrats will make it mandatory to "OFFER" the time to the employees; however it will be the choice of the employee to take it or leave it; and the company will not be penalized if the employee chooses to opt out.
So to all you managers - stop your whining...a good portion of the employees won't use all their time. There is a bill in the House for the new Congress to call for a mandatory 4 weeks per year. Some Republicans are going to fight it, but not all. If it passes Obama will sign. I now live in the UK (for the time being) and I get a mandatory month off of Holiday which allows more bonding time with the wife and family time with my two children.
Back in the States that is NOT possible as I use to work 65 to 70 hours per week with NO vacation time. One problem with our economy is that Americans are not travelling enough due to a lack of vacation time from employers. As more Americans travel together with family, more money they'll spend which will boost the overall economy. If they choose to work while on vacation that's their choice, don't spoil it for others who wish to take a vacation by trying to vote no and oppose more vacation time.
What bothers me the most are the right wing conservatives who are saying that Americans are getting too much vacation time ( I sure would like to know who they work for ). Again, it's all about choice. If more vacation time is to be offered through employers by making it mandatory, so be it - if they choose to take it or not is their choice. Employers will adapt to the new law by compensating and shifting work loads around...just like we do here in Europe and it all works out fine.
Learn more about this author, Dare Naath.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
No
To presume that all workers must have equal and mandated "time off" is to assume that all occupations and all business entities are equal. It is ludicrous to make such an assumption and impossible to effectively create an environment that could make such guarantees. The unfortunate reality is that business is routinely mandated with worker compensations that it can ill afford in the global marketplace. Governmental mandates, are cost factors that cannot always be passed to consumers and mandates that exceed appropriate safety issues can be death sentences to business.
General Motors had negotiated away so many benefits that it could no longer offer a competitive price, relative to Toyota or Honda, even when these companies were located in America using American workers. To add mandated governmental programs "entitlements" is to further cripple business. Companies are even restricted from terminating employees who abuse even the sick leave that is established as the ultimate,employee health entitlement. Small business is required to provide a level of entitlements that is disproportionate to their larger counterparts and therefor extracts a greater cost to small business. Mandated holidays mean payroll expenses for work not done and job costing for work not done.
A basic tenet of accounting is that every dollar lost is a two dollar cost; The one that was lost and the one that is expended to replace the one lost. The actual cost to business is therefor double the stated "guarantee" and an additional cost factored for small business. Businesses alone should be the arbiter of their financial capabilities to offer benefits.
Employees will always receive time off since it is in the best interest of the company to maintain healthy and focused employees. However, let us avoid the "Big Brother" footprint of mandates that restrict business's ability to compete or even to manage their own operations.
Learn more about this author, Donald Herman.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
