Vacation Time Paid Employees Work Full Time Job Depending

If you work in the United States in a full-time job, you probably get paid vacation time. In the U.S., a full-time job is typically 40 hours of work a week, although that "varies" (is different) depending on the employer. Getting paid vacation time means that you continue to receive your "paycheck" (salary) even when you go on vacation.

How much vacation time an employee gets is different depending on their job and their "seniority" (how long they have worked for a company or organization), but most employees start out with two weeks each year. "Veteran" (long time) employees could receive several weeks of vacation time each year after many years with the same company or organization. This is, of course, in addition to major holidays when all employees get paid vacation time.

Surprisingly, a recent "survey" (questionnaire; research asking people the same set of questions) reported in the Los Angeles Times newspaper showed that nearly half of Americans didn't use half of their vacation time in 2011. The survey asked 1,000 adults of different ages and experience their use of vacation time and many of them "passed on" (did not use; did not take advantage of) taking a vacation when they could. Their main reasons for not using vacation time were that they were too busy and that they didn't want to "play catch-up" (try to once again be at the proper level, or the same level as other people, after falling behind) when they returned to work.

The report points out a strange "contradiction" (for two things to be the opposite of each other) however: In the same survey, Americans said they would "give up" (not have) their next "promotion" (advancement to a higher-level job) or 5% of their salary to have five or more days of vacation each year.