Feel like you need a break from your job? A really, really long break? Count yourself lucky if you live in Finland then.
Finnish workers receive the most of any other country -- 44 days off each year (30 vacation days plus 14 holidays),
according to a 2007 survey by Mercer Resources, a global human resources firm.

By comparison, employees in the United States get about 25 days off yearly on average -- 15 vacation days and 10 holidays --
but time off policy varies widely. Check out how your time off stacks up to others' around the globe.


http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/work.life.balance/chart/

We're getting an extra day due to the APEC meeting in Sydney :) Looking right forward to that as anyone who doesn't work in the CBD misses out. Might take she who must be obeyed to lunch on the strenght of it.

This reminds me of anonther Mercer survey cost of living round the world -

quite frankly the figures are bollocks - you pay more for a coffee or flat in Moscow than London. Rubbish!

For the avergae person - there is no comparison in costs. At the top top end- sure Moscow might have some very expensive goods and property.

Can I suggest that those paying these prices in Moscow are not cost conscious at all - so would not be interested in the survey - anyone spending normal prices equally would not be interested in this survey as it doesn't seem to include them.

I'd be seriuosly pissed of hearing I needed a wage cut to work in London as compared to what I got in Moscow!

http://www.mercerhr.com/summary.jhtml;jsessionid=ZHUPTQ40VBO52CTGOUGCHPQKM Z0QUJLW?idContent=1095320

They apply heavy caveats to the data themselves - ie they know its shite too!

Ugh. I've been getting too much of a break from my job recently. I got called and selected for jury duty on a trial that's for murder and attempted murder. It's scheduled to run four days a week for a month, I'm 2 weeks into it already. I'm getting paid by my employer for the court time but not the time for the commute, which is 2 hours there and 2.5-3 (and one time 4.5) back. This break from work is more exhausting than my job...

Ugh. I've been getting too much of a break from my job recently. I got called and selected for jury duty on a trial that's for murder and attempted murder. It's scheduled to run four days a week for a month, I'm 2 weeks into it already. I'm getting paid by my employer for the court time but not the time for the commute, which is 2 hours there and 2.5-3 (and one time 4.5) back. This break from work is more exhausting than my job...

Should have moved to Vancouver when the notice came. :D

The poll is a little misleading.
The standard for Canada which I have alway had in my working career is:
1 week after 1 year
2 weeks after 2 years.
3 weeks after 5 years
4 weeks after 10-15 years.
Some places go as high as 6 weeks after 30 years

Some places go as high as 6 weeks after 30 yearsAfter 30 years, some people are actually retired. They don't need the 6 weeks, they have 52. :)

After 30 years, some people are actually retired. They don't need the 6 weeks, they have 52. :)

You've been looking at my CV,:D, mind you I then did 13 years part time for a charity- less money , less holidays , less stress.

Now fully retired I'm busier than ever with no time off, wives make the most demanding bosses, but the perks are good ;)

Brian

I bet that's true Brian...I don't know about that yet though...but I will get there someday.

I assume we're on speaking terms again?? (why we were ever "off" is beyond me, but someone said that in another thread (one of mine if I remember right, did you catch that!?)

The poll is a little misleading.
The standard for Canada which I have alway had in my working career is:
1 week after 1 year
2 weeks after 2 years.
3 weeks after 5 years
4 weeks after 10-15 years.
Some places go as high as 6 weeks after 30 years

Yep, I was depressed to find this out, when I arrived. :(
I'd been in my last UK position for five years, when I left, and got around four to five weeks a year, not counting public holidays.
Still, by contracting here, I can take the same time off, albeit unpaid. :)

"...wives make the most demanding bosses...":eek: how many do you have??? :p

:eek: how many do you have??? :p

When touring in the Middle East some years ago our guide was asked how many wives he had as apparently his religion allowed 4, he replied "One and there are times when that is too many", I think all men would agree.:D

Brian

I assume we're on speaking terms again?? (why we were ever "off" is beyond me, but someone said that in another thread (one of mine if I remember right, did you catch that!?)

Syntax error , closing) missing. :D

I think a few words were said in an EXCEL thread, but if I stopped speaking to everybody I criticised or who criticised me I'd have nobody to talk to, its all part of life's sweet pattern.

Brian

The one place where Canada falls down is in statutory holidays.
We only get 9:
New Years Day
Good Friday (some get Easter Monday as well but its not a stat)
Victoria Day (around the 24th of May)
Canada Day (July 1)
Simcoe Day (called other things in other provinces, first Monday of August, except in Quebec where they take St. Jean Baptiste Day in June instead)
Labour Day (first Monday in Sept.)
Thanksgiving Day (2nd Monday in October)
Christmas Day
Boxing Day (Dec. 26th for our US friends)

In Canada most folks have to come in for work for the few days between Boxing Day and New Years.

If Easter is in mid April its a long long time from New Years to Good Friday. There is a lot of pressure right now for a holiday in mid to late February.

The one place where Canada falls down is in statutory holidays.
We only get 9:
New Years Day
Good Friday (some get Easter Monday as well but its not a stat)
Victoria Day (around the 24th of May)
Canada Day (July 1)
Simcoe Day (called other things in other provinces, first Monday of August, except in Quebec where they take St. Jean Baptiste Day in June instead)
Labour Day (first Monday in Sept.)
Thanksgiving Day (2nd Monday in October)
Christmas Day
Boxing Day (Dec. 26th for our US friends)

In Canada most folks have to come in for work for the few days between Boxing Day and New Years.

If Easter is in mid April its a long long time from New Years to Good Friday. There is a lot of pressure right now for a holiday in mid to late February.

Don't you find it interesting that we don't have a national holiday to celebrate our "founder" John A. McDonald, or any other national leader? Some have tried for a "flag day" in February, but so many dislike the flag they haven't succeeded!

Canadians don't like their flag? You're kidding me! I happen to think it's one of the best flags in the world. I wish the NZ flag were as distinctive!

Ugh. After having spent 3 weeks (it went faster than originally scheduled) going to this ugly effing trial, after closing arguments they select the alternate juror at random and guess who's the lucky guy? 3 weeks out of my life, I still can't talk about the case with anyone until the jury makes a decision, and while this was all going on our new program manager had finally given the OK to go with an Access db (which I had suggested when the decision first came up) instead of the piece of crap 3rd party C+++/SQL Server db we've been stuck with for over a year and a half. I could have been working on the new db the whole time instead...too much personal info, sorry, but I had to rant. There have to be better ways to get time off from work. :mad:

Maybe it's a case of the grass is always greener on the other side. I've always liked the NZ flag myself.

What I said was so many dislike the flag we haven't been able to settle on flag day as national holiday (the date would be February 15 - maybe too close to Valentine's Day?). And as always - at least in Canada, partisan politics plays a role. The Liberals (their party colours are red and white) were in power when the new flag into being. There is no blue on the flag, and guess what? The Conservative colours are blue and white. Coincedence?

Thank God the NDP weren't it power...it would be orange.

http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/sc-cs/df1_e.cfm

dunno, I've always liked it.

Thank God the NDP weren't it power...it would be orange.

http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/sc-cs/df1_e.cfm

dunno, I've always liked it.

I guess it depends on the generation.

We could have gone with the Rhinocerous Party colours - none! That would've kept eveyone happy!

I guess it depends on the generation.

We could have gone with the Rhinocerous Party colours - none! That would've kept eveyone happy!

But then you couldn't see it on a snowy day.

Don't you find it interesting that we don't have a national holiday to celebrate our "founder" John A. McDonald, or any other national leader? Some have tried for a "flag day" in February, but so many dislike the flag they haven't succeeded!

Hey, the liberals in Ontario have promised a Feb holiday (but only if they win the pending election!). I think they plan to call it 'Gullible day"