Public holidays - US v UK

NotAGolf · 4 Nov 2011 at 09:58

Does anyone know how many PAID public holidays the UK has compared to the US?

I'm trying to find a list comparing the two, but I'm not sure if the American one's listed are paid days off like out bank holidays, or whether they're important days but they still work anyway.

I know the UK generally has more personal holiday entitlement then the US. Rough average seems to be 4 weeks in UK compared to 2 in the US, but I'm only interested in the public holidays at the minute.

This has come up as apparently our office in America has been moaning that we seem to have a lot of days off! I was always under the impression that the American's actually had more public holidays, just less holiday entitlement.

Haircut · 4 Nov 2011 at 10:08

Neither country has any paid public holidays.

I don't get paid for bank holidays.

Rich_L · 4 Nov 2011 at 10:09

The US has 6 'proper' holidays which IME most places will give paid holidays for:

1. New Year
2. Memorial Day
3. Independence Day
4. Labor Day
5. Thanksgiving
6. Christmas Day

However most businesses also give you the day after Thanksgiving off so 7 days in total, and yes 2 weeks is the standard holiday entitlement so 17 paid days off. That said my work also has 5 days a year 'sick pay' which you can just take as leave by policy so I get 22 days off paid effectively.

There are 4 other 'federal' holidays, Columbus Day, MLK Day, Washington's Birthday and Veterans Day but most private businesses don't observe these as I understand it.

In the UK a full-time worker is entitled to 28 days paid leave, the bank holidays are New Year, Good Friday, Easter, May Day, Whitsun, August, Christmas and Boxing Day.

So in answer to your question, the UK has a couple more 'public' holidays that are generally observed but the main difference by far comes in the standard holiday entitlement.

Cosimo · 4 Nov 2011 at 10:11

Rich_L said:
There are 4 other 'federal' holidays, Columbus Day, MLK Day, Washington's Birthday and Veterans Day but most private businesses don't observe these as I understand it.

The Federal List:

http://www.opm.gov/operating_status_schedules/fedhol/2011.asp

kefkef · 4 Nov 2011 at 10:20

Study on it here: http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/lwp/papers/No_Holidays.pdf

Doesnt count Bank Holidays for the UK, but reflects pretty much what Rich said. One thing to note though is that there is no statute mandating paid leave in the states.

Sunbed · 4 Nov 2011 at 10:21

Rich_L said:
The US has 6 'proper' holidays which IME most places will give paid holidays for:

1. New Year
2. Memorial Day
3. Independence Day
4. Labor Day
5. Thanksgiving
6. Christmas Day

However most businesses also give you the day after Thanksgiving off so 7 days in total, and yes 2 weeks is the standard holiday entitlement so 17 paid days off. That said my work also has 5 days a year 'sick pay' which you can just take as leave by policy so I get 22 days off paid effectively.

There are 4 other 'federal' holidays, Columbus Day, MLK Day, Washington's Birthday and Veterans Day but most private businesses don't observe these as I understand it.

In the UK a full-time worker is entitled to 28 days paid leave, the bank holidays are New Year, Good Friday, Easter, May Day, Whitsun, August, Christmas and Boxing Day.

So in answer to your question, the UK has a couple more 'public' holidays that are generally observed but the main difference by far comes in the standard holiday entitlement.

Interesting. I always wondered how holiday entitlement compared, as I heard it was pretty harsh in the US. I suppose it is, but I assume you get used to it. Are you allowed to take it all in one go? The two weeks paid leave I mean.

panthro · 4 Nov 2011 at 11:29

Most full time employees in the USA rarely get more than 12 days paid annual leave.

D.P. · 4 Nov 2011 at 11:53

Rich_L said:
The US has 6 'proper' holidays which IME most places will give paid holidays for:

1. New Year
2. Memorial Day
3. Independence Day
4. Labor Day
5. Thanksgiving
6. Christmas Day

However most businesses also give you the day after Thanksgiving off so 7 days in total, and yes 2 weeks is the standard holiday entitlement so 17 paid days off. That said my work also has 5 days a year 'sick pay' which you can just take as leave by policy so I get 22 days off paid effectively.

There are 4 other 'federal' holidays, Columbus Day, MLK Day, Washington's Birthday and Veterans Day but most private businesses don't observe these as I understand it.

In the UK a full-time worker is entitled to 28 days paid leave, the bank holidays are New Year, Good Friday, Easter, May Day, Whitsun, August, Christmas and Boxing Day.

So in answer to your question, the UK has a couple more 'public' holidays that are generally observed but the main difference by far comes in the standard holiday entitlement.

Not really true, there are typically 11-12 public holidays in the US that almost all companies will stick to. Vacation time is 2-3 weeks.

I applied for over 50 jobs in the US over the last months and every single one offered 10-12 public holidays and 2-4 weeks of vacation, wit some offering additional 4 week sabbaticals at half pay.

One difference is that the holidays and vacations aren't paid in the US but this doesn't really make a difference since you get an annual salary and get the days off without costing you so it is not really a relevant issue.

cHk4 · 4 Nov 2011 at 11:59

Wow... And I thought I was hard done by getting 30 days + all the bank holidays and that -.-

Freefaller · 4 Nov 2011 at 12:28

cHk4 said:
Wow... And I thought I was hard done by getting 30 days + all the bank holidays and that -.-

That's very generous

TJM · 4 Nov 2011 at 12:35

Better do whatever you can to argue against the Yanks - my brother works for an American IT firm and they ignore public holidays completely (except Christmas and New Year's), although his entitlement meets the statutory minimum so he can't really complain.

Sunbed · 4 Nov 2011 at 12:37

Freefaller said:
That's very generous

I need to get a job at Sellafield, or in the nuclear industry in general. My mate gets 45 days + bank holidays (for a graduate role!)

so jelly!

Vonhelmet · 4 Nov 2011 at 12:39

Tell them to pipe down. If they don't like it, they can move.

arctine · 4 Nov 2011 at 12:41

panthro said:
Most full time employees in the USA rarely get more than 12 days paid annual leave.

Really? I get 45 days off a year plus 8 days of bank holidays.

Time to start appreciating my job I think.

TJM · 4 Nov 2011 at 12:50

Sundance said:
I need to get a job at Sellafield, or in the nuclear industry in general. My mate gets 45 days + bank holidays (for a graduate role!) so jelly!

Holidays now, cancer later!

shoes · 4 Nov 2011 at 13:16

Haircut said:
Neither country has any paid public holidays.

I don't get paid for bank holidays.

Do you have the option to work instead should you wish to?

DBT85 · 4 Nov 2011 at 13:57

arctine said:
Really? I get 45 days off a year plus 8 days of bank holidays.

Time to start appreciating my job I think.

I only get 20 days, but because I do 12 hour shifts I'm only actually at work for 182 days a year anyway. Once holiday is in its only 162 days a year.

13.5 days a month on average and I get paid double on the 4 bank holidays that I work every year.

Not as much holiday, but I can't complain!

Jez · 4 Nov 2011 at 14:11

Rich_L said:
However most businesses also give you the day after Thanksgiving off so 7 days in total, and yes 2 weeks is the standard holiday entitlement so 17 paid days off. That said my work also has 5 days a year 'sick pay' which you can just take as leave by policy so I get 22 days off paid effectively.

Although their stock holiday entitlement is very low over there, certainly in my gfs company (american) it is very commonplace to take unpaid leave to top it up, far more so than it is over here. Is that your experience too? If it is, then its little different really, you just have to factor it into the package.

D.P. · 4 Nov 2011 at 14:25

Jez said:
Although their stock holiday entitlement is very low over there, certainly in my gfs company (american) it is very commonplace to take unpaid leave to top it up, far more so than it is over here. Is that your experience too? If it is, then its little different really, you just have to factor it into the package.

This is very common also, and since salaries are higher and living costs lower it works out very well.

I will be starting a job in the US next year and will have 12 days of public holiday, 15 days of vacation (raising to 20 in 2 years) and also the option of 1 month leave at half pay. On top of that I can take unpaid vacations days, which considering my salary I may do if I don't take the 1 month leave, e.g. I might find myself wanting some extra days for Christmas next year.

6 years ago I worked fr Sun Microsystems in the Bay area and also had 11 days of public holidays but 10 days of vacation (I was only an intern). However, there was also 5 days five at Christmas where everything shuts down, the day after Thanksgiving and 5 days around July 4th when everything shuts down for summer, so about 32 in total.

Edit, 1 final thing is that flextime is much more common over there. lots of people work 4x10 day weeks, or 9hours Mon-Thursday and taking every 2nd Friday off. Unfortunately I wont have that, but can negotiate in the 2nd year. I will have flexible working hours with minimal face time from 11am-3pm, so I could start early leave early, or start late leave late.

The bug difference in the US is there are really no legal minimums so you do hear horror stories. It also varies by job, if you are a toilet cleaner you can expect to have less entitled vacation. If you are in a job that requires a degree say, then the benefits are much higher.

Another thing is that you can actually use sick days as vacation days. I will accrue something like 10 a year, which roll over to following years. So one can take a gamble and use some of the sick days but then if you are later sick you might regret it.

Jez · 4 Nov 2011 at 14:26

Exactly, if anything its better that way round as i cant sell my massive holiday entitlement back, so i have to take it all or i lose it :/