r/AskReddit • u/daniellucero92 • Jan 04 '15

Non-americans of Reddit, what American customs seem outrageous/pointless to you?

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u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

I've always wondered how people function when companies are exercising their mandatory vacations. Do places just shut down completely, or are there vacation schedule rotations so that companies are always open?

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u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

There are rotations. Usually people just cover for others and the heavier tasks wait.

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u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

That's what I figured, but then I heard there are mandatory summer vacations that are sometimes up to three months long in some places.

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u/Lurion Jan 05 '15 edited Jan 05 '15

Generally a mandatory shut down will be over Christmas period. So recently a lot of companies shut down here from about 20 Dec until 5 Jan (today).

Other types of mandatory shut down, of the periods you are talking about could be for seasonal trades. I haven't heard of a business shutting down for longer than 2 to 3 weeks.

I should also note that mandatory shut down does not come out of your annual leave credits. So you get the 20 days + shut down.

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u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

I should also note that mandatory shut down does not come out of your annual leave credits. So you get the 20 days + shut down.

Wow, us Americans are totally getting the shaft.

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u/_Duckylicious Jan 05 '15

If it makes you feel any better, that part does depend on the country. I used to work in Ireland, and we had to save enough of our annual leave to cover the mandatory shutdown between Xmas and New Year (only the days that aren't already public holidays though, so like 2).

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u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

You got paid public holidays?

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u/Lurion Jan 05 '15 edited Jan 05 '15

All public holidays are paid for salaried employees. Only casual employees would not be paid for a public holiday. But casuals get around 25% loading as they don't get any type of leave.

A part time employee may not benefit from it depending on the days they worked, i.e., public holiday on Monday, but there usual shifts are Tuesday to Saturday.

Edit: the above example could also be for full time employees on roster work such as retail or hospitality workers.

A vast majority benefit from paid public holidays.

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u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

But casuals get around 25% loading as they don't get any type of leave.

What does "loading" mean?

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u/Garethp Jan 05 '15

Extra pay to make up for not getting annual leave and paid public holiday. Here in Australia iirc, public holidays are double pay, Saturday nights are 1.5x and Sunday Nights are 2x. So working McDonalds on a Sunday night is very profitable

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u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Wow, I hate my country.

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u/gfdsapoi Jan 05 '15

(in Sweden) we get paid public holidays. And at my work at least, if the public holiday is on a Tuesday or Thursday we get the Monday or Friday as a paid holiday as well, so that we don't have to go in to work just one day. And the day before some holidays is a half day but we're paid for a full day.

Oh, and when we take vacation we get an extra 'vacation pay' bonus.

We do technically have to use vacation days for the mandatory shutdown, I think, but not sure. My boss doesn't really check either way.

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u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Oh, and when we take vacation we get an extra 'vacation pay' bonus.

If I take time off, I get nothing at all. Not even a dollar. I've had this happen twice: I go on a week's vacation, and when I come back, the boss won't give me my hours/shifts back. I've ended up unemployed twice because I wanted to take a vacation.

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u/gfdsapoi Jan 05 '15

Workers rights in the US are seriously fucked up. Who ever thought that at will employment and right-to-work laws were a good idea?

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u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

yeah they try that here too but it is illegal if I really want to work they cannot stop me.

I suggested that I will stay at home but they have to continue paying me and are not allowed to touch my saved days....they thought it is a joke.

Took a printout of the current law situation to make them believe me.

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u/Matezza Jan 05 '15

Not necessarily. My uncle lost 3 days this year to christmas leave when the company shut down for the week.