It’s great to have ambition and a love for what you do, but hustle culture has never really been cool, and most would agree that relaxing is absolutely necessary. But workers’ psyches can’t survive on fun weekends alone, and need to be able to take time off during important celebrations like Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, or Star Wars Day. Or if they want to take a week off to enjoy the gorgeous summer months, attend a wedding, or see Paris for the first time.
Unfortunately and shockingly, not everyone thinks that. TikTok user @thecourrent shared the news that she and her co-workers got just as 2024 is wrapping up… and it’s tragic. She said, “The company I work for just announced that in 2025, there will be no holidays, so, corporate America.”
It’s hard to wrap your head around this, right? Everyone who saw the video agreed that it doesn’t make sense. Some people who live outside the U.S. expressed their shock. One person from Sweden wrote, “Meanwhile in Sweden: you are forced to take minimum 25 days of each year, with full pay. Or the company gets hefty fines.” Another wrote, “That’s illegal in the UK.” A few people said something along the lines of “Time to find a new company in 2025.” The most powerful comment was, “Bold move in Luigi’s America.” They were referring, of course, to all the attention being paid right now to Luigi Mangione.
But since so many commenters said it’s illegal not to give employees vacation days, is that actually the case in the United States? According to Forbes, the U.S. isn’t actually obligated to provide vacation days. The Center for Economic and Policy Research looked at 21 nations and said that on average, when a U.S. company does give paid vacation/holiday days, it’s only 16 days. That’s much fewer than average among developed nations.
Perhaps even more surprising is that when Americans do have paid vacation days available, they might not take them! According to a 2024 survey by Harris Poll, 78% of Americans aren’t taking 100% of their PTO. Resume.io looked at how 197 countries handle PTO, and discovered that there are only 9 PTO days in Micronesia, on average, and 10 in the U.S. 10 isn’t a lot when you think about all the major holidays plus the fact that many people like taking at least one week off a year, but 10 is still more than zero!
As an American who moved to Sweden wrote shared in an article for Business Insider, a law called Semesterlagen mandates 25 days of PTO, which translates to five weeks. Yes. Five weeks! Sounds lovely. Just imagine all the quick road trips, European vacays, and fun adventures you could go on.
It’s tricky to imagine a company telling employees they’re never allowed to take time away from their desks and computers, let alone doing so at the merriest and brightest time of the year. There’s no doubt that this will affect morale at this woman’s company, and everyone must feel the same way that she does. According to HRO Today, Mindspace’s Employee Well-being Data Report discovered that 82% want their companies to help them ensure they can take time off for rest and relaxation. 43% answered that “flexible working hours” affect how happy they are at their jobs. I agree with the commenters that this user needs to start job hunting ASAP. Forget drinking more water, sleeping more, and learning to love running. That should be a 2025 resolution.
Published: Dec 19, 2024 04:57 pm