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66% of Americans say they want extended European-style vacation policies at work

(www.cnbc.com)
137 points pg_1234 | 4 comments | 26 Aug 23 08:47 UTC | HN request time: 0.809s | source
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unmole ◴[26 Aug 23 09:35 UTC] No.37271099[source]▶
Did the survey ask if they wanted a pay cut to match European style wages?
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1. catboybotnet ◴[26 Aug 23 10:01 UTC] No.37271267[source]▶
If pay is the only concern, why not just take up contract work and refuse benefits to get the most pay? Ignoring the other variables at play, such as cost of living and benefits, and only focusing on pay is foolish.
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2. unmole ◴[26 Aug 23 10:25 UTC] No.37271434[source]▶
Higher pay gives you options like being able to take unpaid time off and still coming out ahead. That's more appealing than nebulous benefits.

Contract work is a fundamentally different proposition and equating it to employment is foolish.

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3. jtwaleson ◴[26 Aug 23 10:54 UTC] No.37271608[source]▶
I switched to freelance earlier this year and now make 6x compared to before. Granted, I was underpaid for the market because I was CTO in a small startup.

Contract work is for when you can take the risks. You also need to have a good network and be able to sell yourself so you have a steady stream of work. Finding new work takes considerable time which you should factor in.

I personally love the freedom right now, but I’m using this as an in-between period until I discover what I really want to focus on.

4. maccard ◴[26 Aug 23 11:01 UTC] No.37271652[source]▶
> That's more appealing than nebulous benefits.

Benefits aren't nebulous, they're concrete things. My employer offers a pension(401k) contribution, health insurance (which is a queue skip really here), income protection for long term sickness or death in service, and a "perks card" which is 95% crap but gives me a 25% discount on the largest gym chain in my area. That's just monetary.

On the "non-monetary" side, I'm guaranteed 33 days _paid_ time off (and promised 40 this year), have an option to take a month _unpaid_ with notice, I have employment rights and can't just find myself without a job with no notice or dismissed for no reason. There's also the "overhead"/admin work of managing a business and handling the tax affairs. Sure it's straightforward, until HMRC decide it's audit time.

> Contract work is a fundamentally different proposition and equating it to employment is foolish.

That, I agree with.