# How many days holidays?



## Liamos (9 Sep 2010)

Just out of curiosity, how many days holidays do you get in your job and do you think its reasonable? I get the bare 20 which don't last long when you take in Christmas etc.


----------



## Mucker Man (9 Sep 2010)

I get 25 days, plus an extra day off for Christmas eve and Good Friday. I think it's great.


----------



## Protocol (9 Sep 2010)

My colleagues (though not me) get 70 days.  They work in higher eduation.

Oct = 4 days mid-term

Christmas = 3 weeks

Easter = 2 wks

July + Aug = 8 wks


----------



## Boyd (9 Sep 2010)

I get 23, used to get same as Mucker Man above in previous company. Kind of grind me that I dont get Good Friday since its an Irish company.

Getting 20 days is crap though, in scenario you know that if they could give you less, they would


----------



## truthseeker (9 Sep 2010)

Protocol said:


> My colleagues (though not me) get 70 days. They work in higher eduation.
> 
> Oct = 4 days mid-term
> 
> ...


 
Presumably some of the 70 days is used in setting exams/marking exams/setting coursework for the coming year?


----------



## pixiebean22 (9 Sep 2010)

Think under legislation you're entitled to something like 1.75 days per month.  That adds up to 21 days.

My current job is 21 days but that includes 3 days at Christmas which sucks   but then again I'm only on contract here until the end of October so if I had the choice I know what I'd choose.


----------



## huskerdu (9 Sep 2010)

20 days + 3.5 days at Christmas + Good Friday (which is not a public holiday)

Not bad, but a few extra would be nice. 
The company always approve unpaid leave, unless it impacts a deadline, so its possible to get a few more, if you can take the financial hit,


----------



## PaddyW (9 Sep 2010)

20 days only, same as you Liamos


----------



## pixiebean22 (9 Sep 2010)

yeah, good friday is at the company's discretion, although i've never worked for anyone who didn't give the day off


----------



## z104 (9 Sep 2010)

21 days- Rubbish.

Last job was 26 days but you worked 40 hours a week as opposed to 39


----------



## fizzelina (9 Sep 2010)

20 days hols and I have to use some of them for Christmas. But we have the option to buy a few extra days and that comes out of our salary. 
But to be honest what bothers me about the holidays is if I book a week off, then I spend the week before that doing extra hours so I can get work done that needs to get done and then I take a week off, am wrecked for it as I had to do so much the week before. Then I come back and work a load of extra hours to make up the week off.
I really feel the company get a good deal, since they effectively don't give time off if you worked up the hours before and after???
It's a salaried office job, c'est la vie.


----------



## truthseeker (9 Sep 2010)

fizzelina said:


> But to be honest what bothers me about the holidays is if I book a week off, then I spend the week before that doing extra hours so I can get work done that needs to get done and then I take a week off, am wrecked for it as I had to do so much the week before. Then I come back and work a load of extra hours to make up the week off.


 
Ditto. I get 25 days, but I have to save some of them for over christmas. I usually find it so difficult to take time off (because we are so understaffed, everytime I suggest taking a week off there is some project, some one else off, some deadline, some emergency or some other reason I cant), that I end up wasting days through november and december at a day or two a week just to use them up.

When I do manage to book the time well in advance I have to work extra before and after to make up for it.


----------



## z104 (9 Sep 2010)

We are wage slaves


----------



## missdaisy (9 Sep 2010)

I get 20 days plus 3 days at Christmas + Good Friday.


----------



## TarfHead (9 Sep 2010)

29  Rank + service has pushed it to this level.

I have taken 16.5 so far, including 14 for the family Summer holiday. I have 5 days booked for Christmas, leaving 7.5 other days to use before the end of December. Can't carry any into 2011; use or lose.

I'll probably take 4 for the school mid-term break at Halloween.


----------



## Caveat (9 Sep 2010)

20 days - from which I have to take christmas too. Don't get good friday - in fact, never have.

End up getting a few days in lieu though due to extra hours worked.


----------



## z104 (9 Sep 2010)

Maybe we should have a day off to celebrate the 12th of July


----------



## DB74 (9 Sep 2010)

20 + Good Friday + (usually) Christmas Eve

pixiebean - it's 1.67 days per month worked which equates to 20 days per year


----------



## pixiebean22 (9 Sep 2010)

ah thanks db, knew it was around that mark somewhere


----------



## Purple (9 Sep 2010)

TarfHead said:


> 29  Rank + service has pushed it to this level.
> 
> I have taken 16.5 so far, including 14 for the family Summer holiday. I have 5 days booked for Christmas, leaving 7.5 other days to use before the end of December. Can't carry any into 2011; use or lose.
> 
> I'll probably take 4 for the school mid-term break at Halloween.



Started on 20 days but due to rank and service that's now... 20 days at most.
So far this year I've taken 7 but I'll be taking another 5 before Christmas.


----------



## xeresod (9 Sep 2010)

31 & Good Friday and an extra day at both Christmas and Easter - not hard to guess where I work!


----------



## DB74 (9 Sep 2010)

xeresod said:


> 31 & Good Friday and an extra day at both Christmas and Easter - not hard to guess where I work!


 
Dail Eireann?


----------



## Protocol (9 Sep 2010)

truthseeker said:


> Presumably some of the 70 days is used in setting exams/marking exams/setting coursework for the coming year?


 
Maybe.

They are physically not in the building during these 14 weeks.

Indeed, the union would not like anybody to be seen in the building during the 14 weeks.

Yes, over the 3 wks off at Christmas, they may be marking coursework (no exams at Christmas)

All marking is done before end of June, so the 8 wks off in July and Aug are pure hols.


----------



## burger1979 (10 Sep 2010)

21 days a year but have to use some of them for crimbo. typically i end up with about 16 days to use throughout the year after christmas. 
Pity some of our american working colleagues though some of them dont get any paid leave for holidays, they have to take the financial hit. My uncle worked in a company that would pay you one days leave a year or soemthing stupidly low like that and then if he wanted the extra days no pay. 
I had read somewhere, a long time ago, and i am kinda fuzzy on the details, but in the U.S. paid vacation is not seen as a right but something that is earned through hard work and company loyalty. Indeed some companies surveyed said that paid leave was a waste of time as it provided no commercial edge to the company. they have to pay someone to go on holidays, and when they get back that employee has no more of an impetus to work harder after the leave.


----------



## Protocol (10 Sep 2010)

All figures for annual leave entitlements are based on the statutory minimum after 10 years' service, for an employee working five days a week.

The figures are taken from Mercer's European Employment Conditions report which is available at http://www.mercerhr.com/

COMPARISON OF STATUTORY MINIMUM DAYS' LEAVE AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS ACROSS EUROPE

Country; annual leave; public holidays; total leave
Finland: 25; 14; 39
Austria: 25; 13; 38
Greece: 25; 12; 37
France: 25; 11; 36
Portugal: 22; 14; 36
Spain: 22; 14; 36
Sweden: 25; 11; 36
Denmark: 25; 10; 35
Luxembourg: 25; 10; 35
Germany: 20; 13; 33
Belgium: 20; 10; 30
Italy: 20; 10; 30
Ireland: 20; 9; 29
Netherlands: 20; 8; 28
UK: 20; 8; 28

Figures are based on an employee with 10 years' service

Website: http://www.mercerhr.com/


----------



## Protocol (10 Sep 2010)

This is what Wikipedia has to say about annual leave in the USA:

US law does not require employers to grant any vacation or holidays and about 25% of all employees receive no vacation time or holidays: No-Vacation Nation.

For employees that do receive vacation, 10 working days with 8 national holidays is fairly standard. Members of the US Armed Services earn a total of 30 vacation days a year, not including national holidays.


----------



## z104 (10 Sep 2010)

We really need to be bringing our annual leave/Public holidays up.

Right now, our annual leave/public holidays are pathetic in comparison to Finland.

How do we go about this?


----------



## pixiebean22 (10 Sep 2010)

During the last 12th of July celebrations was there not talk of making the 12th of July a public holiday throughout Ireland?


----------



## Purple (10 Sep 2010)

Niallers said:


> We really need to be bringing our annual leave/Public holidays up to at least the EU average.
> 
> Right now, our annual leave/public holidays are pathetic in comparison to Finland.
> 
> How do we go about this?


 What, be like Finland? Easy; find massive amounts of natural resources (timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, gold, silver, nickel etc) and develop a world-class manufacturing base around them. Then have a huge financial services sector that is based on competent but light regulation, competent providers and a sound banking system rather than incompetent regulation, tax breaks and banks that are willing to throw money at anything. It would also help if we had their participation rate in the workforce and their level of fulltime employees (they have the lowest proportion of part-time employees in the OECD).


----------



## z104 (10 Sep 2010)

Why not and by the way Ireland is the largest source of Zinc and lead in Europe?

Not to mention our natural resurces such as wind, wave, ocean and farming. Also gas that will be pumped from same said Ocean.

We also have gold in them there hills but the green brigade won't allow it to be mined.


----------



## Purple (10 Sep 2010)

Niallers said:


> Why not and by the way Ireland is one of the biggest sources of Zinc and lead in Europe?
> 
> We also have gold in them there hills but the green brigade won't allow it to be mined.


 Yep, we're around 4th or 5th in the world for Zinc production but we've never developed any industries around our natural resources.


----------



## michaelm (10 Sep 2010)

Niallers said:


> We also have gold in them there hills but the green brigade won't allow it to be mined.


And, apparently, Uranium.  Start mining that and build three nuclear power stations.  

29 days plus Good Friday.


----------



## Shawady (10 Sep 2010)

Purple said:


> Yep, we're around 4th or 5th in the world for Zinc production but we've never developed any industries around our natural resources.


 
If this tax harmonisation comes in, we may be forced to develop industries around our natual resources rather than over-rely on forgein multi-nationals for jobs?


----------



## michaelm (10 Sep 2010)

Shawady said:


> If this tax harmonisation comes in, we may be forced to develop industries around our natual resources rather than over-rely on forgein multi-nationals for jobs?


When rather than if.


----------



## Purple (10 Sep 2010)

Shawady said:


> If this tax harmonisation comes in, we may be forced to develop industries around our natual resources rather than over-rely on forgein multi-nationals for jobs?



Why not have both?


----------



## Shawady (10 Sep 2010)

Purple said:


> Why not have both?


 
True, but I suppose the theory is that the low corperation tax rate attracts forgein investment despite higher labour costs. If we lose that we will be priced out of the market unless further drops in pay rates.


----------



## fobs (10 Sep 2010)

Get 21 days holidays a year. Usually work on-call at Xmas (IT) so generally do not use up any days holidays here. Usually take good Friday off but didn't this year.


----------



## mtk (10 Sep 2010)

22 - worst I have had in 20 years


----------



## gipimann (11 Sep 2010)

Full entitlement is  25 + extra day at Easter & Christmas (and Good Friday).

As I don't work full-time, I get 90% of the full entitlement.


----------



## BillK (13 Sep 2010)

As a retiree I have plenty of holidays, but no bank holidays off!


----------



## micmclo (13 Sep 2010)

24

Good Friday is a bank holiday but not a public holiday so we get that off also.
Seems to be a tradition in that sector I think

Banks never open on Good Friday but lots of other businesses do
Hey, I'm not complaining!


----------



## becky (13 Sep 2010)

I get 31 plus 3 concessions days.  I can also avail of flexi but never get the chance - I do take some toil but not all I work.

I'm now off for 4 weeks and have 9 days to use by end of March 2011.


----------



## sam h (14 Sep 2010)

It's interesting how some people say :

25 days + 1 day at Easter + 2 concession day + days at Christmas (my reckoning is that that makes 30days holidays)

Others say 21 days (but 4 days must be taken over Christmas).....does that mean they actually have 17 + 4 at Christmas?


----------



## z104 (14 Sep 2010)

Not all companies close at Christmas so people mean that they are forced to take days from their holidays at Christmas time.

21 days will be it and Christmas needs to come out of this 21 days.

so yes 17+4 (assuming you need to take 4)


Are the people who get 30+ holidays generally in the state or semi state?

Is there people on this forum working in private companies getting 30+ days?


----------



## sam h (14 Sep 2010)

Niallers, fully aware of what it means to have to take the hols 'cos the factory/office/site is closed.

I'm just observing that some people don't seem to include the days they are getting at Xmas or Easter as part of their hols .

I know plenty of people who have to take x number of days due to closure, and they include these days as part of their overall hols (which they are).


----------



## huskerdu (14 Sep 2010)

You make a valid point, sam_h, but I assume people are reflecting the language that is used on their workplace. 

You are entitled to 20 vacation days per year. Your employer is entitled to insist that you take some of these during a closedown at Christmas, I assume that companies that do this, do not want to say " you get 16 days vacation + the Christmas closedown" as this sound worse than "You get 20 days vacation ( BTW, you have to take 4 of these at Christmas"). 

Niallers - the only people I have ever heard of in Ireland who get 30+ vacation days work in the public sector, or in universities, or in sem-istate companies. 

If anyone knows of an exception to this, let us know.


----------



## TarfHead (14 Sep 2010)

huskerdu said:


> ..reflecting the language that is used on their workplace.


 
Years ago (early 90s) I was in college with someone who worked with First National BS. Accoring to him, taking up to 20 days sick leave was the norm.

If you wanted a day off, in addition to your annual leave allowance, you just phoned in and said you were taking a sick day - no effort was made to pretend to be unwell.

According to him it was the norm, and whenever he need more time to have something ready for college, he just took one of these days.

That was then.


----------



## Slash (15 Sep 2010)

truthseeker said:


> Presumably some of the 70 days is used in setting exams/marking exams/setting coursework for the coming year?



I wondered how long it would take for someone to respond to Protocol's posting. Seven minutes..........is this a record?


----------



## Mpsox (16 Sep 2010)

27 days but have to take one of those on Good Friday and one on the day after Stephens Day as my clients are closed. Also work a number of bank holidays for which I get a day in lieu. Have some flexi time options as well if I need to do something in the morning, I can do a 2-10 shift for the day which is handy.

Have had to cancel my leave this month for various reason so it looks like I've got around 3 weeks to take between here and year end. Roll on !!


----------



## Graham_07 (16 Sep 2010)

A slight twist to the thread but any self-employed on AAM care to pitch in what holidays they give themselves? I generally try and take 20 days + public hols + Christmas ( which varies depending on when it falls in the week, usually from day before Christmas Eve to first working day after new years day.)


----------



## thesimpsons (20 Sep 2010)

21 days of which 4 must be taken at christmas and 10 at particular time in the summer for shutdown... only leaves 7 days for rest of the year .  its a good company for most other things except for the  holidays. then again, its an american based company and head office thinks we have way too many holidays.


----------



## Purple (21 Sep 2010)

Graham_07 said:


> A slight twist to the thread but any self-employed on AAM care to pitch in what holidays they give themselves?



Mrs Purple is self employed and she took 6 weeks off last year. 
She did have a baby during that time but still, six weeks did seem excessive.

Come to think of it she also took 3 days at Christmas as well.


----------



## Firefly (21 Sep 2010)

Graham_07 said:


> A slight twist to the thread but any self-employed on AAM care to pitch in what holidays they give themselves? I generally try and take 20 days + public hols + Christmas ( which varies depending on when it falls in the week, usually from day before Christmas Eve to first working day after new years day.)


 
It depends really for me. Haven't taken 2 weeks off together for a few years, but take the odd day here and there. I would say I take about 20 days a year but that would include Xmas and bank hols as I don't get paid for these.


----------



## csirl (21 Sep 2010)

29 days. Have to take some off at certain times of year e.g. Christmas and Easter. Have never used my full allocation - very few people do where I work - usually end up with 20-25 days actually taken.


----------



## Caveat (21 Sep 2010)

Purple said:


> Come to think of it she also took 3 days at Christmas as well.


 
Whaaat?

The cheeky cow. Does she work at all?


----------



## Purple (21 Sep 2010)

Caveat said:


> Whaaat?
> 
> The cheeky cow. Does she work at all?


I know, nearly 7 weeks in one year!


----------



## mozzer (21 Sep 2010)

30 days.

Still have 19 left to take before end of March.  Will be doing well to take 10.


----------



## PyritePete (21 Sep 2010)

20 days in my contract but nobody checks this, I dont have to fill out holiday forms, my boss is overseas and our office is in the USA. I was told to take as much time off as I need, the flipside is I work 60+ hours most weeks. 

Taken 10 days in 2010, but worked some of those at home. Our US guys get 15 days PTO Paid Time Off including sick days.


----------



## Graham_07 (21 Sep 2010)

Purple said:


> Mrs Purple is self employed and she took 6 weeks off last year.
> She did have a baby during that time but still, six weeks did seem excessive.
> 
> Come to think of it she also took 3 days at Christmas as well.



Could she not have given herself a sick note and taken more ?


----------



## Purple (21 Sep 2010)

Graham_07 said:


> Could she not have given herself a sick note and taken more ?



Nope; not only does she not get paid for holidays but she has to pay for her cover out of her own pocket.


----------



## Graham_07 (21 Sep 2010)

Purple said:


> Nope; not only does she not get paid for holidays but she has to pay for her cover out of her own pocket.



I know the feeling, such is the lot of the self-employed service provider.


----------



## z107 (21 Sep 2010)

> A slight twist to the thread but any self-employed on AAM care to pitch in what holidays they give themselves?


Zero days.

Whenever I've have to go somewhere, I always bring my laptop and do work while I'm on the train or in the hotel etc.
We have no choice because to hire someone would make us uncompetitive.


----------



## DB74 (22 Sep 2010)

Petermack said:


> My wife gets 27 days hols a year but can then buy additional days for 35 euro per day. She never has but she has a colleague who travels around the US nearly every year gigging with his band at Irish music festivals who usually buys an additional 2-3 weeks hols most years.


 
I've heard of people taking unpaid leave but having to pay to take leave. That is GUBU.


----------



## Firefly (22 Sep 2010)

Petermack said:


> My wife gets 27 days hols a year but can then buy additional days for 35 euro per day. She never has but she has a colleague who travels around the US nearly every year gigging with his band at Irish music festivals who usually buys an additional 2-3 weeks hols most years.


 
That's a super deal! Do you mind me asking what type of company this is?


----------



## DB74 (22 Sep 2010)

I'm confused here

Without doubt the 27 days is fantastic

But does your wife have to pay €35 per additional day AS WELL AS losing a days pay for that day? I don't see why this is great if this is the case.


----------



## Shawady (22 Sep 2010)

Purple said:


> Nope; not only does she not get paid for holidays but she has to pay for her cover out of her own pocket.


 
Is your wife not entitled to the state maternity benefit?


----------



## Holtend82 (24 Sep 2010)

28 day and 35 hours a week


----------



## BONDGIRL (25 Sep 2010)

My last job got no paid holidays or bank hols. It was contract work and rate was ****. So now I just for permanent job with 20 days PAID leave and all bank holidays paid ! So that is about 10 bank hol so in my books that 30 day leave ! Yeee!


----------

