Americans Not Taking Paid Vacations

[mikecatt13]

'Obviously not written by an American in the know, OR by parties trying to be PC....'Working for large corporations prior to saying au Revoir and starting my own, smaller, more-manageable and profitable business, I had witnessed decades of corporations having to offer PTD to employees, but leaning on them and loading 'em up with work, telling employees they're expendable, etc. etc. etc. (essentially blocking them from weeks of vaca after offering it at the time of employment.) Combine that with the absolute money mismanagement of the current administration in the US (taxes, inflation, reliance on foreign oil, products, etc. etc. whilst the executive committees scoop up all the profits for themselves,) and the average workers haven't a dime left after all bills have been paid. So, they have to work. My advice to all, especially younger folks, is to be the Employer, NOT the Employee in America (and do be one of the good ones that actually treats good employees well!) Many of us could write a treatise on this, but it's common knowledge here and one doesn't wish to talk about it anymore than they have to...It's a political-economic form of quasi-legalized Slavery. Too much commercial-governmental programming going on here for the masses. Advertising is heavy here. Many feel they must keep up with the Jones' by always purchasing new things, essentially becoming house-rich and pocket-poor. My elders always taught us by example that to prosper, one must master their profession and save, and they were correct! I add to that question every single thing you read or hear. They're not your friends. It's all about $.

I get your point, but self employment is not for everyone. It's way harder than most people think from the outside looking in, no matter the industry. They dont understand the stress, pressure, or risk.

Americans (and others I'm sure but i see this first hand here) are INCREDIBLY financially irresponsible and overleveraged. Most would be in an entirely different position if they just had basic discipline and financial education. I dont think most of them could begin to handle working for themselves.

As one of my mentors says, "the 1% is the 1% for a reason." Insert any % you want, replace with "business owner", really any goal or ambition that takes effort. We have an absolute epidemic of poor qualities and it's just gotten worse since covid because of the shutdowns, handouts, etc.

All that being said, almost all the folks on here to some extent know what's it's like to be disciplined in order to buy a new rifle, go on safari, and still pay rent. So your advice is presented to a better audience to take advantage of it.

 

[Tanks]

I get your point, but self employment is not for everyone. It's way harder than most people think from the outside looking in, no matter the industry. They dont understand the stress, pressure, or risk.
...

And just as important, marketing and sales. If one is not always looking for opportunities one will go hungry. You eat what you kill.

 

[John the Electrician]

Self employment is EXTREMELY hard. When people say “lf I had my own business, I would work on projects I was passionate about and be my own boss,” I want to barf and then shake some sense into them.

Actually being a self employed boss is nothing like that. You always are on call and always at the whim of customers and employees. It is true when times are good AND you are gifted with several various boss qualities (pm me for further discussion on that) the money can be a fantastic reward. Often, it is a hard, long and lonely road.

Weird, we haven’t heard from Curtism lately… maybe he has put in his 32 hours? I am waiting for the “research shows” example he was referring to. But, then again, maybe that’s just me, being a difficult boss?

 

[Jeff505]

We don't get 40 hours of work done anyway. We sit in the office for 8 hours mindlessly playing on our phone or shopping on Amazon on work computers for half of it...or at least just staring at the screen daydreaming. Management believes in 40 hours because that's just what is engrained in the workforce for decades.

Who is this “we“ that sit playing on their phones, if you can’t put in a good week of work then that speaks volumes of your work ethic. If you can‘t show loyalty to your employer then leave. This entitled lazy attitude that seems more pervasive in the work place is not something to be championed but in fact something to be scorned. Everything in life you pursue is worth your full effort. If you don’t like your situation in life then find a way to better yourself. Life is an incredible journey and will soon enough come to an end. Enjoy, pursue and live to the fullest no matter the circumstances, going into work and simply putting in time to get through the day and waiting for the work day to come to an end is a shallow and meaningless existence. The miracle of awakening each day is hope and promise for the future.

 

[sgt_zim]

be sure to take your next paid vacation in South Africa, there is a great place called "Tallyho" they will look after you real good. and take all your stress away
send u home refreshed and ready for work

contact us soon

Working on it, brother. Unfortunately, looks like 2026 before I can head down that way. Just too many other obligations between now and then.

I did just buy a 404J, and I need to justify owning one of those, so RSA/Namibia is coming.

 

[Scott CWO]

Slowly and surely we were slipping backwards 100 years for worker rights and along came covid. It came at a critical time and it will have lasting effects, some good some bad; mostly good.

The time for the 32 hour week is now. Research backs it up. The time for mandatory vacation is long overdue.

The only thing holding us back is the 2 party political system

What another socialist joke. Heck, I work 32 hours every two days from about late July to mid December and 40-50 hours a week the rest of the year and have for 30 years. Get up at 4:30am, saddle horses, make breakfast, hunt all day, unsaddle horses, make dinner and lunches for the next day and to bed at 11pm on wilderness hunts. Ranch hunts are easier but still a long day. Due to some back to back hunting season dates, I will pull about six all-nighters a year when one trip ends and another begins. Transition days suck! Last year, I started to slow down and hired a guy to start to take over some of my responsibilities.

Before outfitting, my wife and I were in the restaurant business and it was about the same and almost always worked on holidays.

I’ve been working out of the house since the eighth grade.

Now, some people I know tell me how lucky I am to be able to hunt Africa, Asia, Alaska, etc… It’s funny, the harder I work, the luckier I get.

 

[Traveler1]

I had been self employed since I was out of college for about 20 years. In 2019 I finally took a client's offer to come in house after years of asking. I get two weeks paid time off a year and have not used them since I took the offer. "Official" Maybe a day here and there and when I have tried to take an extended "government" holiday weekend, but the phone and emails don't stop. So indoutbaly we answer them. With today's technology is hard to say I am not available, unless you not in cell coverage. And when your a workaholic its hard to unwind and not take the call. The last vacations we have taken, my wife books the trip and tells me, we are leaving this day and coming back this day.

As several member have posted, when you get back from a long week end it takes me hours to answer calls and responsed to emails. Back when there was only home phones, telex and this new fancy gadget a fax machine, it was easier to be away from the office.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I worked 60-70 hours per week last year for the first 9 months of the year. The vast majority of the weekends during that time I only took one day off.

I get 6 weeks of PTO having been at the company long enough to have earned that. And I use EVERY DAMN HOUR of it with no sense of disloyalty to the company. I see PTO as any other company benefit: health insurance, 401K, even the paycheck. I don’t choose to give up any of my PTO just as I don’t send a paycheck back every so often or not use my health insurace for a doctor’s visit.

 

[VertigoBE]

And just as important, marketing and sales. If one is not always looking for opportunities one will go hungry. You eat what you kill.

The most important thing I look for when recruiting a new sales for the team. Foaming at the bit, the taste of blood in the mouth, starving to get P&L behind your name.

Everything else I can teach them

 

[mikecatt13]

Self employment is EXTREMELY hard. When people say “lf I had my own business, I would work on projects I was passionate about and be my own boss,” I want to barf and then shake some sense into them.

Actually being a self employed boss is nothing like that. You always are on call and always at the whim of customers and employees. It is true when times are good AND you are gifted with several various boss qualities (pm me for further discussion on that) the money can be a fantastic reward. Often, it is a hard, long and lonely road.

Weird, we haven’t heard from Curtism lately… maybe he has put in his 32 hours? I am waiting for the “research shows” example he was referring to. But, then again, maybe that’s just me, being a difficult boss?

Amen. I have the same reaction. But resist, and usually invite them to try it themselves and be sure to call me when they cant handle it and I'll consider buying easy to move assets for pennies on the dollar

 

[C.W. Richter]

And just as important, marketing and sales. If one is not always looking for opportunities one will go hungry. You eat what you kill.

That is not universally true in all disciplines. If you are widely regarded for experience and pricing, the work will come to you. I haven't done any significant sales or marketing in a decade. I don't waste time or $ on competitive gov't. bid projects. Private sector projects in my industry generally take 3-5 yrs (some 1, some 30, some in perpetuity,) so once you have a signed contract, the jobs are "yours to lose!" And, this work is a required by law so the need for it never goes away. Choose wisely. I cringe at the thought of the corporate days, when the big, fat company needed a whole sales force (most of which would underprice a job just to land it and scam their commission, only to leave the poor engineers and staff to work unpaid overtime to get it done.) If you're a commodity with much competition, you unfortunately need a sales fand/or marketing force. Just take good care of your existing customers once the jobs fall into your lap! They have been my best "sales force" with continued business and other client referrals... I have additionally minimized my life expenses such that I could work part-time at Cabelas 1x weekly if I so chose to. Steered my children into even more lucrative disciplines such that they'll never have to be financially dependent upon me. 'Slowly winding things down after COVID, taking on only the additional low-hanging fruit, to enjoy life full-time. Not looking for new work once existing long-term projects have been completed. Although I thoroughly enjoyed hunting and bowfishing within it as a kid, I've grown tired of dealing with the "Swamp." -the 5% club (I think there's a book entitled "The Accidental Salesman?" It pertains to the people performing the work and interfacing with customers, actually being the salesperson every single time they communicate-and see a job well done.)

Switching gears, is it possible that Safaris are not a priority for most significant others (and that there is often disagreement for what sort of vacations should be undertaken)?? LOL Again, choose wisely!

 

[C.W. Richter]

This is a big part of the problem (not just taxation sans representation, but bending the minds of young people in an entirely wrong direction.)

Oxford University researchers have discovered the densest element yet known to science.
The new element, Governmentium (symbol=Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called pillocks.
Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert. However, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact.
A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete.
Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2 to 6 years.
It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganisation in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.
In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganisation will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.
This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration.
This hypothetical quantity is referred to as a critical morass.
When catalysed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium (symbol=Ad), an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium, since it has half as many pillocks but twice as many morons.

 

[Tanks]

Well, one of my companies is an engineering company that specializes in automation projects for refineries, municipal water/wastewater systems etc.. While projects and maintenance last years (we installed first storm pumps station for a client in 1991) one still needs to keep eyes and ears open for anything else going on as personnel change and new projects start with the new people not being aware of existing vendors.

I make a point to visit each client once a quarter or more chatting with various people to make sure they are aware of us.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Well, one of my companies is an engineering company that specializes in automation projects for refineries, municipal water/wastewater systems etc.. While projects and maintenance last years (we installed first storm pumps station for a client in 1991) one still needs to keep eyes and ears open for anything else going on as personnel change and new projects start with the new people not being aware of existing vendors.

I make a point to visit each client once a quarter or more chatting with various people to make sure they are aware of us.

Yes. I have experienced Considerable turnover in Client contacts on large industrial jobs (on average I have to briefly reprove myself to someone new every 3 yrs.) But it's easy to continue on, so long that performance is good. Sometimes customers' attorneys try to implant their own contractors on a job (as they feel more secure themselves.) lol Can't say I like it, but i get it. Direct customer relations are everything! Then there's nepotism...LOL