Spring Break!
Many of the kids are out on Spring Break this week. When I was a kid, this week was always met with great anticipation. A week out of school! Throw in a summer vacation that lasted 12 weeks and a bonus day here and there for holidays like President’s Day, and that meant over 60 days of vacation!
What happened?
Why do we now settle for 8 holidays (if we’re lucky!) and 2 weeks of vacation? We went from 60 or more days of vacation to 18 days of vacation! That’s over a -300% reduction in vacation time!
Is it the same globally?
According to an article on Mainstreet.com the United States ranks lower than many other countries in vacation days with the average vacation being 15 days:
| Country: | Vacation Days |
| United States | 15 days |
| South Korea | 19 days |
| Japan | 20 days |
| United Kingdom | 28 days |
| Russia | 28 days |
| France | 30 days |
| Lithuania | 40 days |
| Brazil | 40 days |
Is asking about corporate vacation norms good advice while job hunting?
The experts say “yes”! The blog ThinkAndAsk quotes a 2005 Psychology Today article which stated the professional worker in the United States suffers from chronic ”vacation deficit disorder”. Vacation is a piece of the compensation package, and just like with compensation there is generally room for negotiation. However, the right time to address compensation or benefits is not during the phone screen or 1st interview. The time to negotiate compensation is when the company knows they must have you, and you know you want the job.