Holiday

I don’t know if it’s a healthcare thing or every business does this, but in every job I have had in England (all five of them), the fiscal year ended on 31 March, which means we all have to use up our annual leave (that’s ‘vacation days’ in American) by 31 March or lose them. Even though I have lived here the better part of a decade, I still have not quite adjusted to the amount of leave we get. My leave, not counting bank holidays (that’s ‘federal holidays’ in American) has ranged between 22 and 27 days per year, which straddles 5 weeks. Whenever I tell my colleagues how much holiday (that’s ‘vacation’ in American) we get in the United States, they give me such a look of dismay. I get the distinct feeling they don’t believe me.  Prior to my occupational therapy days, I was an environmental engineer.  Nearly all of those jobs offered 10 days. I also remember getting 5 days somewhere, and I distinctly remember negotiating for 15 days when being offered jobs at the last two engineering firms before I switched careers. But now that I am writing this, I wonder if the English are also not adjusted to the leave they get because it seems we are always in the same boat: using up our days left in March before we lose them.


Photo Credits

Old English Beach Holiday: HQWallBase.pw

Orlando Vacation: Entertainment.ie