Bush's French Vacation

[farmbo]

President Bush's five week vacation may strike American workers as excessive. Indeed, the President who used the debates to extol the "hard work" required to serve in the office, has, all tolled, taken nearly seven weeks of holiday during the past calender year.

But while Americans may question the President's work ethic, there is one country where Bush's lust for luxury would scarcely raise an eyebrow: France.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/06/27/60II/main704571.shtml

Like the French, Bush places a higher priority on recreation than work.

Unlike France, Bush is leading a country at war.

[terrya]

1. This is the big problem I have with Bush going on vacation.

It's HIS war. He started it.

And yet...it's "fuck it, I'm going on vacation from this crap"

Screw that shit.

[Missy M]

2. I think American workers need more vacation time than they get.

It would make for a better workplace and productivity. I don't believe bush should be taking a five week vacation during a time of his war and the problems facing this country. Nearly seven weeks of vacation and the year isn't even over yet. Half the time when he isn't on vacation he is out bike riding.

[farmbo]

3. American workers need more vacation...Bush needs less

But, alas we have a "War President" who recreates like peace has broken out all over.

[shadowknows69]

4. Unlike America

France probably has a fair enough and stable enough economy to allow people leisure time.

[SammyWinstonJack]

5. If Clinton had taken that much vacation time, war or not, they'd be

screaming their collective heads off about it.

[Stephanie]

6. Seven weeks vacation so far this year!

T'giving & Xmas will add two more at least - who the hell does the little freak think he is? Little Lord George.

[tocqueville]

7. 4-5 weeks vacations a year is not a "luxury"

it's considered a normal living standard in MOST European countries

"Like the French, Bush places a higher priority on recreation than work."

it's not a question of "PRIORITY" it's a question of a DECENT standard of living, which obviously isn't a a PRIORITY in the US

the fact that your president takes 5 weeks when 22.2 million private sector workers do not have paid vacations in the US is outrageous.

but that doesn't mean that the US citizens shouldn't have 4 weeks like in Europe. Unless there is some "puritan" ideal that people should work themselves to death. And I don't believe it's the case.

_______________________________________________________________

American workers hold a unique position among workers in industrialized countries: U.S. law guarantees them no holidays or vacation. While every other industrialized country has a legislated minimum number of days of paid leave, employers are not required to provide workers in the United States with any vacation. Under U.S. labor law, Labor Day, like every other holiday, is just another day. As a result, workers in the United States enjoy far fewer paid days off, 14.2 on average, than workers in any other industrialized nation. In fact, in many nations workers have more than twice as many paid days off as do workers in the United States.

Not only is the average number of paid days off far lower in the United States than in the rest of the industrial world, many workers don’t get any paid days off. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) employer survey of benefits, 25.5 million private sector workers do not have paid holidays and 22.2 million private sector workers do not have paid vacation.<2> While some of these workers may be allowed to take unpaid leave, some employers do not even allow this. Similarly, many workers are required to work on the most important national and religious holidays, for the same wage they get on any other day.


Holidays and Vacation: Practices in the European Union, Japan and the United States

Across Europe, there is a serious commitment to ensuring that workers have a significant amount of paid time off. A statute of the European Union actually requires that all workers have at least four weeks of paid leave per year.<4> Most E.U. countries have even higher levels of mandatory paid leave (see table 1). In 2000, legally mandated paid leave in Austria, Denmark, Finland, France and Spain was 30 days, and 25 days in Luxembourg and Sweden. Furthermore, in many European countries workers begin to ‘save up’ vacation days from their first day of work and therefore do not have to wait a certain period of time before they can take their first ‘saved up’ leave. By contrast, in the United States, it is standard for employers to require that a worker be employed for a certain period, such as six months or one year, before being able to take a paid vacation day.


Table 1
Legally Mandated Paid Leave in Europe and United States, 2000


Weeks Days


Austria 30

Denmark 30

Finland 30

France 30

Spain 30

Luxembourg 25

Sweden 25

Germany 24

Belgium 4

Greece 4

Ireland 4

Netherlands 4

United Kingdom 4

Italy 1) (4 weeks)

Portugal 2) 22

European Union 4

Canada 3) 2

United States 0 0

Source: Article 7 of E.U. Directive 93/104/EC; and European Commission, Employment and Social Affairs, unpublished data, 2000.

1) Under the law, Italian workers have the right to paid annual leave, however, the law does not specify a minimum number of days. Since Italy is a member of the European Union, Italian workers are covered under the E.U. Directive 93/104/EC that mandates a minimum of 4 weeks of paid leave.
2) Does not include public holidays.
3) Minimum paid vacation after one year of employment. In Saskatchewan, workers are entitled to a minimum of 3 weeks of paid vacation.


In law, workers in the United States are not guaranteed any paid holidays or vacation days. According to the Department of Labor’s website: “The FLSA does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations, sick leave or holidays (Federal or otherwise). These benefits are matters of agreement between an employer and an employee (or the employee’s representative).”<5> It is also worth noting, that unlike the practice in most European countries, workers who work at undesirable times, including weekends, holidays and late hours, are not entitled to additional pay under the law. U.S. labor law only requires additional pay for overtime work, when workers work more than 40 hours in a seven-day period.

http://www.cepr.net/publications/give_me_a_break.htm

[Mass]

8. Nope, the French dont - but their unions work for the workers

not their bosses.

BTW did you know that French workers are more productive than American ones, because they understand a rested worker works best. (Bush is a different issue).