this post was submitted on 18 Jan 2026
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[–] doingthestuff@lemy.lol 53 points 1 month ago (3 children)

I've never had a two weeks vacation. I'm 52.. If I have 36 hrs off in one block I go camping.

[–] ieGod@lemmy.zip 45 points 1 month ago (3 children)

This is insane. Why would you put up with this?

[–] Zorque@lemmy.world 33 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Because some people need to have multiple hyper-yachts and who are we to stand in their way?

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 17 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

There are millionaires and billionaires in Europe though, so clearly it is possible to have decent work-life balance and still support the excesses of a rich upper class, assuming that's a requirement.

The amount of productivity lost because of paid leave is almost negligible, study after study has shown that people are less productive the more overworked they are. So staff with no time off work longer hours but are less productive for those hours, the end result is it pretty much equals out. If it didn't, the US economy would be doing better then it is, €1 is $1.16.

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 1 points 1 month ago

The exchange rate isn't really the best indicator of the economy because either side can print more or take excess money out of circulation.

Not that your other points are wrong or anything. Just wanted to point that little thing out.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 month ago

Studies show programmers are about as productive if they only work 80% compared to 100%. Or so I recall, gotta dig that one up. Personal experience is the more people linger in the office the less (quality) programming gets done.

My take is that people seem to like it, I mean why are they staying late for free otherwise?

[–] Zorque@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Nah, it's a dumb reason to do anything, much less hand wealth to a bunch of people who don't give a shit about the workers who got them there. It was more tongue in cheek than anything.

Less time off has more to do with middle managers justifying their pittance than anything else.

[–] StarvingMartist@sh.itjust.works 20 points 1 month ago (1 children)

What the fuck am I going to do about it? Get arrested bringing the people responsible a lake city quiet pill?

[–] SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org 4 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Well what do you have to lose?

[–] FudgyMcTubbs@lemmy.world 19 points 1 month ago (2 children)

The trick is that so much is tied to our employment, including health care. Wanna start a ruckus and get fired? Cool, you'll lose your health insurance and the cancer will kill you. It's not like the company down the street is any better.

[–] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 month ago

And sometimes the company you work for, or the company down the street, is causing the cancer.

Or your out trying to protect your neighbors, and ICE or DHS shoots cancerous chemicals into the streets.

This is America.

[–] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago

Everything. Everything we have.

Let me tell you what it's like to be poor, since it seems you don't understand. The less money and agency you have, the more every little thing counts.

Our families, our pets, our few nice things... They are everything, and they can be taken from us if we slip up just once.

[–] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

What else can we do? A lot of people underestimate how fucked over us working class folks are here in the US.

The ultra wealthy have been fracking our livelihoods for generations. If we're not hospitalized or crippled by medical debt, we just consider ourselves lucky.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 month ago

It's insane no politicians are banking on this, or are they, "trump style", maybe?

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 18 points 1 month ago (2 children)

In New Zealand if you have an office job there's a decent chance you're not even allowed to work for at least a week, often two, sometimes three over the Christmas/New Year period.

The days between Christmas and 2 January are not even considered working days when calculating working days in contracts.

[–] FlexibleToast@lemmy.world 13 points 1 month ago (3 children)

I'm an American and luckily I work for a company that does the same thing. We "shut down" during that time. They even give 4 weeks of PTO a year starting off. This is no where near the norm.

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Haha here the legal minimum is 4 weeks plus 12 more paid public holidays on top.

[–] FlexibleToast@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Yeah. I know nearly every where else has it so much better. If I felt like I had the ability to immigrate, I probably would.

[–] piwakawakas@lemmy.nz 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Cries in working in health care

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

You might not get the public holidays at the same as others but you're still entitled to them taken in lieu!

[–] piwakawakas@lemmy.nz 1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Oh for sure. It was more the 2-3 weeks off at summer that I was envious of. Although I know lots of people still have to work as well, so I can't complain too much.

[–] FlexibleToast@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Ironically my gf is a health care worker and she actually earns more PTO than I do.

[–] piwakawakas@lemmy.nz 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Tbh I get 5 weeks AL a year (although only after 5years) so I'm really complaining about not much. I can take leave over summer like everyone else, but only every third year or so as there has to be somebody working

[–] FlexibleToast@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Well staffing is a different issue all together. She definitely had some times where there wasn't enough staffing and they couldn't have people go on PTO.

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Come work on IT projects in government. There's a contractor stand-down period for like 3 weeks over Christmas so even if you work there's almost no one around (yes the government said they would cut down on use of contractors, they said a lot of things).

[–] piwakawakas@lemmy.nz 2 points 1 month ago

The work has to be done whether it's officially on the books or not.

I would consider it if I had the skills, but I don't

[–] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago

Sounds like the semiconductor industry. The pay is good, but they will try to destroy your soul during those 11 months.

[–] Drusas@fedia.io 1 points 1 month ago

That is sweet.

[–] Ilovethebomb@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 month ago

There's a two week period you basically have to take off, because everyone else is also on holiday, so you couldn't work if you wanted to.

[–] saimen@feddit.org 7 points 1 month ago

You don't have weekends?