The United States is notorious for its poor stance on providing paid time off to workers.
It is the only advanced economy in the world without a federal law requiring paid time off or sick leave, and as a result, many economies rely on policies that vary by employer.When it’s up to business, the average American worker gets only 11 days Their first year with the company is paid vacation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
After five years in service, that period is extended to 15 days, but pales in comparison to the legal requirements in many other countries around the world.
In cultures that value productivity, even employees who do take vacations often put them on the table. But for some, the opportunity to move abroad, especially to Europe, has brought a whole new prospect of paid time off.
Krys Alexandra, 26, lives in Arizona Moved to Germany 18 months ago explore europe Because she has a strong interest in German culture. She works in supervisory management and financial direction.
Elexandra, who is entitled to 30 days of paid leave in Germany, was surprised to find it “extremely easy” to apply for it.
She told CNBC Make It that her longest vacation was a three-week vacation in South Korea, and that the most helpful preparation she did at work proved to be providing transparency to the rest of the team.
More than half of the email responses I get are automated replies stating that the person is on vacation until mid-July or August.
kimberly sols
Americans living in Sweden
“A lot of times, when we’re on vacation in the US, we think it’s a personal thing,” she said. “In Germany, I’m very vocal about where I’m going and how long I’m going, so if anyone has any questions or worries about my absence, they know why I can’t stay home for a long time.”
When she returned, she found that “it was fairly easy to get back to work. Almost all the employees I worked with were notified, so my workload was on hold until I got back.”
Plan ahead to take a few weeks off
Kimberly Sorce, 32, grew up in New Jersey but Move to Malmö, Sweden, May 2022 with her fiancé who grew up there. She works as a business development representative at a technology company and is “still adjusting” to 30 days of paid vacation per year. (Swedes are guaranteed 25 days of paid vacation by law.)
Kimberly Sorce moved to Sweden from New Jersey in 2022 to work for a tech company.
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Requesting time off is easy and almost always approved right away – the only sticking point is planning ahead, as people are expected to take weeks off at a time. “We have to make a request for a summer week in April,” Sauls said.
She said her European colleagues and clients “generally believe that business will slow down in the summer and then pick up in the fall.” During the summer, she said, “more than half of the email responses I get are automated Going on vacation until mid-July or August.”
Beyond that, the scope of Sorce’s pre-vacation preparations is simple: “Just tell your co-workers when you’re going on vacation so they know they won’t see you for a few weeks.” Set up an automatic reply, and you’re ready to go.”
out of work
But for Elisandra, breaking away from work while out and about has become ingrained into the culture. “My supervisor actually refused to answer any work-related questions I had while on vacation,” she said. “It’s considered rude to ask about work when an employee is off duty.”
It’s helpful that Alexandra can think of her PTO as a guarantee she’s entitled to, rather than a perk she has to prove she’s worth.
Whereas in the US she often feels guilty for taking time off work and has to pretend to be excited about returning to work, “in Germany we all know that everyone is entitled to a certain number of days” so people plan their days even more excitedly vacation, and actually return to work with a break.
When she travels, Sorce never feels the need to bring her work phone or laptop. Overall, she considers Sweden’s work-life balance to be “unrivaled”.
“In the U.S., we glorify ‘hustling’ and overtime, as well as being the hardest worker, which is celebrated and rewarded in the workplace,” Sauls said. “Here, it’s not the same thing at all. Nobody wants to work overtime because they’d rather make less money and enjoy their free time.”
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