American Vacation Time/Holidays
In the United States, people live to work while in other areas of the world people work to live. Or at least, this is a common stereotype about Americans and people who live in other parts of the world. The average working American gets two weeks (sometimes three if they're lucky) of vacation time a year while it isn't uncommon for individuals living in Spain, Italy and other parts of Western Europe to have the entire summer off, which is something that shocks Americans when they visit Madrid or Rome in the middle of the summer. In the news we've heard about workers in Western Europe facing a cut in their social benefits, however, their vacation time is never touched (Geoghegan 2010). Meanwhile, American workers employed during this desperate financial time are not taking their vacations in fear of losing their jobs if they do or of appearing not committed enough (hence replaceable) to their employers. There is something to be said for having a balance between life and work. It can be argued that is an individual isn't well-rested and doesn't feel adequately appreciated and compensated for their work (which includes compensation as vacation time), they won't be as good of workers as they can be. Working too much can also have detrimental effects on a person's health, which is one of the reasons this problem needs to be addressed in the United States. What do other countries do? How are countries like Italy, France and Spain able to offer their employees four, six and sometimes eight weeks of vacation time a year (2010)? This paper will address some of the differences in employee benefits and attitudes in the United States and Western European countries and will examine some of the benefits of offering individuals more vacations and longer holidays. It will also touch on some of the ideological factors involved.
In the CNN article entitled "Why is American the 'no-vacation nation'?," Pawlowski (2011) states...
U.S. Vacations American Vacation Time Many people in the United States are clueless about how their country stacks up to other countries in the world in regards to vacation time. Most people generally assume that vacation time in the United States is relatively comparable to that of the rest of the world. However, that could not be farther from the case. In fact the U.S. has been referred to as the "non-vacation"
By having this loophole in place, management simply allowed the employees to walk through it. Moreover, management has failed to address the issue properly by firing the dishonest employees. They are stealing from the company and should be removed. Management can address the issue by closing the loophole and dismissing the worst offenders. In addition, the paid absence plan contributed to a culture of entitlement. Given that entitlement is the
Cultural Immersion WHEN COLORS BLEND Cultural Informant Interview What is your cultural and personal background? I am Priscilla, a native of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. I am a 74-year-old widow of an American native from Indiana. We have two grown children and two grandchildren by each of them. I migrated into the United States in 1973 where I have lived and worked up to the present. Before my migration, I worked
" (de Graff, 2008) Vacations make workers more productive. Air New Zealand conducted a study and states findings that following having taken a vacation that workers were able to sleep one hour longer and to experience quality sleep with reactions times that were 30 to 40% faster than before their vacation. The gains were found to last across several months. The work of Gilbert and Abdullah (2003) reports a study focused on
Another trend that makes the American economy seem weak after September 11th is a change in spending habits. Many economists attribute a change in retail spending to the aftermath of September 11th when really it mostly reflects an evolution in the retail industry. Over time the American consumer's needs have changed and so have the demographics. For instance, "women are the driving force behind retail purchases" (Six Months, 2002) as
National corporations own many chains, even though several others are independently owned but affiliated with a chain through a franchise agreement. Types of Hotels The U.S. Department of Labour (2004) denotes five basic types of hotels: Commercial - These hotels operate year round and are primarily located in cities or suburban places. The larger properties offer an assortment of services for their guests, such as coffee shops, restaurants, cocktail lounges, gift shops,
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