Job Question

[thistlebloom]

When you're self employed you get no paid holidays, vacations, sick days or unemployment "benefits". And you get to contribute 100% to your social security.

But dh has always been his own boss, and for the past 8 years I have too (been my own boss that is, dh just won't let me boss him), and I wouldn't want to work any other way.

 

[catjac1975]

Teachers get a lot. I know that pisses off a lot of people but when you work with kids you get sick a lot. We got 15 days a year which you built up to over a hundred. You were not allowed to use them for time off, which most people did not. I caught everything and went to school sick because if I stayed home every time I got sick I would never have been there. Of course there was the flu and other nasty things that the kids love to share that forced you to your sick bed. We had 3 personal days a year for things that come up in life. Again most people did not use those except for family emergencies. There are always abusers but I did not know too many.

 

[lesa]

I have 25 hours per year. Have never taken a one... Been here almost 30 years and have 3 weeks vacation.

 

[thistlebloom]

I'm very grateful to be living in a country where we still have the liberty to go into the line of work that interests and suits us.

Whatever the benefits or lack of, we can choose where we work.

 

[ninnymary]

Amen, to that thistle! As long as your happy doing what you're doing, the rest is secondary. When we love or enjoy what we do, it doesn't seem like work.

Mary

 

[Smart Red]

Smart Red, over here teachers have the option of having their yearly salary paid over the 12 months. Most teachers do it this way, so that they can be off for the summer and still get paid.

Mary

But they don't get paid for the summer...they forgo their correct pay and allow the District to dole it out over a longer period -- in effect saying, "I can't handle my pay, will you hold it for me?"

I never thought it was a wise idea to broadcast to the school board that I am incompetent in my financial affairs, or to let the District reap interest on my salary.

 

[Carol Dee]

When I was hired part time for the School district I was startled to find we actually got sick days, bereavement days and 2 personal leave days. You could carry over one personal leave day but could never have ore than a 3 in a school year. Bereavement 2 days for what ever, And a full week for immediate family. Also 3 family sick days and somewhere around 15 sick days for self. those accumulate until retirement at which time you lose them! I have 261 days unused. No paid vacation days. But a handful of paid holidays. Good Friday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New years and Labor Day or Memorial day but not both!
@Nyboy my 1st thought was he doesn't really want the job! then I read he was a long time employee. Glad you talked, I bet things get better now.

 

[dickiebird]

Thats about average for union companies @dickiebird. I submit final contracts for one of the locals. Average for a 10 year employee is three weeks paid vacation and 10 paid holidays. One of the companies also pays 4 personal/sick days.

It can be a hardship on smaller companies when an employee takes off, but I would hate to lose a dedicated employee.

Sorry to disappoint but I have never worked in a union job, but I do think we were given these benefits to keep us ahead of the unions so if they ever tried to organize us there wound not be an incentive for us to do so.

THANX RICH

 

[Ridgerunner]

@dickiebird that might be part of it, I'm sure it is in some businesses, but companies give non-union employees those benefits so they can keep employees. There's competition out there for good employees. When people are looking for a job those benefits make a difference in where they decide to work. It's not all just about salary. If you are not treated right you are not going to be happy. Some people can manage to put up with that but a lot, especially the good ones, realize they can find other jobs if they want to.

I wasn't union either. I worked in the oil patch as an engineer. If production is down you get it flowing again 365 days a year. I was paid by the month, not the hour, so overtime did not exist. If I did work a holiday, which I did a lot in project and production work, I got a compensation day off, but vacation did not carry over. Take it or lose it. There was an exception that if you could not take vacation the because production was shut down, you could carry it over for a couple of months the next year but you had to take it then. I never did know how many sick days I was allowed because I never needed to know. I had pneumonia once and was off for a couple of weeks. The boss said to come back when I was healthy.

A lawyer might know, but there may even be laws that require certain minimum benefits as far as vacation days, sick days, and such. Those could be federal or local.