Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by MarkCole 3186 days ago
Something that stuck out for me:

> "Don’t get me wrong — Even has plenty of perks. Our team is offered paid vacation time (with a minimum number of days off)"

Is paid vacation time really a perk? Is vacation time usually unpaid in the US or something? Or maybe the perk is the minimum number of days off?

3 comments

In the US the employer is under NO obligation to provide vacation time, period. Paid, or otherwise.
I was under the impression there was a statutory amount, but it was ridiculously low. To have none at all is pretty damn terrifying.
From https://www.employmentlawhandbook.com/leave-laws/vacation-le...

"Federal law does not require employers provide employees with either paid or unpaid vacation leave. Both the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Department of Labor have left the matter of vacation leave to the States to develop applicable laws.

Vacation Leave and State Law

There are no States that require employers to provide employees with either paid or unpaid vacation leave. However, states vary considerably on the requirements placed on employers if they choose to provide vacation benefits. Vacation Leave Law Summaries"

It's a major perk in the US. Vacation time is basically reserved for management or C-Suite folks, especially if it's paid.
> is basically reserved for management or C-Suite folks

Oh comon, it's entirely expected in the white-collar world. The difference is it's not federally mandated.

I don't think this is completely correct, but maybe I've experienced life in a bubble.

Many people certainly do not get PTO, in particular retail workers and non salaried employees. I don't believe I have a single friend who is salaried and who does not receive some kind of PTO. For example, public school teachers get paid time off in addition to summer break (where they are generally not paid).

This is categorically false. While there are no federal requirements, and many hourly workers do not get paid time off, most salaried and professional workers do. It is extremely common for us workers to get paid time off.
False.

Heck, I even received a week's paid vacation as a crew chief (not even a manager) at a McDonalds when I was 17.

Wow unbelievable, I never knew that. For someone who works in EU this sounds ridiculous.
For many years, my dad was given 4 days off a year for both sick and vacation time. Any other time was unpaid. He changed jobs last year, and I haven't asked him if his new job is the same or not.

It is absolutely ridiculous.

It’s not true for white collar work. For the most part, salaried and even non salaried full time workers get at least 20 days of paid time off a year.
Nope, average is 10. And this is gross: "A remarkable 23 percent of Americans have no paid vacations and no paid holidays."

https://gusto.com/framework/health-benefits/paid-vacation-ti...

It's pretty much a standard perk for any tech company worth their salt.

The minimum number of days off is pretty much a BS perk too.

> The minimum number of days off is pretty much a BS perk too.

I wouldn't call it a perk, but it's in the interest of the business to help prevent burnout.

8+ hours of working per day pretty much guarantees a burnout for most people