This runs along the same lines. I just watched a video explaining why Americans are afraid to take vacation time from work. The US is the only major country in the world that does not have government mandated vacation time. France has a month of vacation each year plus holidays??!!! http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4308346&affil=wls
I get six weeks a year plus all the public holidays in Cheeseland :-P
This runs along the same lines. I just watched a video explaining why Americans are afraid to take vacation time from work. The US is the only major country in the world that does not have government mandated vacation time. France has a month of vacation each year plus holidays??!!! http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4308346&affil=wls
I get six weeks a year plus all the public holidays in Cheeseland :-P
Wow. All I can say is wow. We usually get no vacation the first year, a week the second year and sometimes third year and two weeks after that. Only if you're an old timer do you get any more.
I don't think the video had it totally right, that people are afraid of losing their jobs if they take the time off. It's more the missed opportunities. You're gone for a week, you've missed a sale, you lose out on a contract, etc. You could say that comes down to greed, but not being around when a client calls, they may turn to the competition and you've lost a customer for life.
In the case of my husband's job, he returns back to work with a stack of jobs in his inbox that have to be done immediately. Never mind that it was a 10-day job and he was gone for 5 of them, he's still expected to get it done. He returns from vacation to days and days of overtime. You just get relaxed then go back to stress immediately.
So, for those who do have lots of time off--do you return to mountains of work and tons of stress? How does a workplace run when people are off work so often?
I have always hated how holiday isn't valued here. I get 10 days plus about 10-15 days scattered throughout the year (I have it written down but too lazy to look).
I wish I had more and when I've been here for 2 years (in August) I plan to ask for more. He's let me borrow forward and also just take unpaid days. While I feel I (and everyone) should have more vacation time, I have no problem valuing time off over money. Not everyone has that luxury though.
In Argentina after working for 6 months in the same job, you get 14 days of vacations (you can take 14 days off all together). If you've been working for less than 6 months, then it's one day off per month worked.
Then the ammount of vacation days raises according to seniority:
5 years or more = 21 days.
10 years or more = 28 days.
15 years or more = 35 days.
Plus you get days off for nationaly holidays, or you can ask for days off to study...
In Denmark, we have 5 weeks, and depending who you work for, a sixth week. Then there's the child's first day sick, which is basically a day off which you spend trying to find a babysitter if your child is ill several days. We're extremely priviledged here, probably because of a different attitude towards work.
Just realised there was an interview with Sebastian Dorset. He's not funny on 60 minutes, but he's actually a comedian, and a very funny one at that :o)
I think we (Spanish people :p) are a happy country XD
But it depends on the person. Not every Spanish is happy, of course ^__^
por que no te callas ???
No, we have to be nice to Monica. While you were off searching, bleaching and eating, she took over as foreign language adviser to my daughter. Did you know that pee pee and poo poo are the same in French and Spanish? Rachel suddenly decided she wanted to learn Spanish from a real Spanish person from Spain. ;-)
If you almost bump into someone in Britain, you say sorry... in this country, you just give each other a tiny smile and a nod. Really odd.
Haha, that's one thing I really liked about Danes(is that the correct demonym?), they never ever express their annoyance verbally. You may find it odd but we found it incredibly polite. This one time we were at the checkout counter at a 7/11 in Copenhagen: my dad was fumbling about for change, I was whining that I wanted the salad with the fat-free dressing, my mum was shouting at me because I was making a scene and besides that salad was way too expensive, my brother, standing a mile away pretending he didn't have anything to do with us... and there we stood for 5 whole minutes holding up the line behind us, and the guy at the register didn't utter a single word! You people must be unbelievably happy to not blow your fuse at people like us! If the setting was in India, there'd be carnage...
Haha, that's one thing I really liked about Danes(is that the correct demonym?), they never ever express their annoyance verbally. You may find it odd but we found it incredibly polite. This one time we were at the checkout counter at a 7/11 in Copenhagen: my dad was fumbling about for change, I was whining that I wanted the salad with the fat-free dressing, my mum was shouting at me because I was making a scene and besides that salad was way too expensive, my brother, standing a mile away pretending he didn't have anything to do with us... and there we stood for 5 whole minutes holding up the line behind us, and the guy at the register didn't utter a single word! You people must be unbelievably happy to not blow your fuse at people like us! If the setting was in India, there'd be carnage...
Yup, correct demonym.
Trust me, people would have been annoyed but as you say, nobody said anything. If they did, the other people in the queue, including the guy at the register, would have found this very rude. But I'm glad that foreigners like this aspect lol
As Sebastian Dorset said (he was one of those being interviewed by 60mins), the Danes reserve the right not to be spoken to :oP
This runs along the same lines. I just watched a video explaining why Americans are afraid to take vacation time from work. The US is the only major country in the world that does not have government mandated vacation time. France has a month of vacation each year plus holidays??!!! http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4308346&affil=wls
I get six weeks a year plus all the public holidays in Cheeseland :-P
Wow. All I can say is wow. We usually get no vacation the first year, a week the second year and sometimes third year and two weeks after that. Only if you're an old timer do you get any more.
I don't think the video had it totally right, that people are afraid of losing their jobs if they take the time off. It's more the missed opportunities. You're gone for a week, you've missed a sale, you lose out on a contract, etc. You could say that comes down to greed, but not being around when a client calls, they may turn to the competition and you've lost a customer for life.
In the case of my husband's job, he returns back to work with a stack of jobs in his inbox that have to be done immediately. Never mind that it was a 10-day job and he was gone for 5 of them, he's still expected to get it done. He returns from vacation to days and days of overtime. You just get relaxed then go back to stress immediately.
So, for those who do have lots of time off--do you return to mountains of work and tons of stress? How does a workplace run when people are off work so often?
phew I just can't imagine how you cope with so little holidays! Whenever I'm away on holiday my colleague does my job and vice versa. The same when somebody is ill. There is always somebody to deputize.
sina:)
Oh Dear, guess I should'nt have opened my mouth :0/ But we're doomed if the danes are the happiest cos I perceive them as a miserable moaning bunch of arrogant aggressive rude whinebags.
BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT I live in Copenhagen and capitol cities are always the worst. I know people who hated living in the city and are much happier where they are now (still in Dk, and people are much friendlier. Still talking to me Hanne? *scared*;0)
The happiest friendliest danes are the homeless and the junkies. If you want to visit, do so when the sun is shining cos that has an amazing effect on them.
Oh Dear, guess I should'nt have opened my mouth :0/ But we're doomed if the danes are the happiest cos I perceive them as a miserable moaning bunch of arrogant aggressive rude whinebags.
BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT I live in Copenhagen and capitol cities are always the worst. I know people who hated living in the city and are much happier where they are now (still in Dk, and people are much friendlier. Still talking to me Hanne? *scared*;0)
The happiest friendliest danes are the homeless and the junkies. If you want to visit, do so when the sun is shining cos that has an amazing effect on them.
So what you're basically saying is that you want me to become a homeless junkie? *hmpf*
:oP
Of course I'm still talking to you. We're complaining all the time about the weather and whatnot, so I think it's a bit over the top to call us all happy. However, I think that most of us are content.
And yes, capitol cities usually have more extremes than smaller towns.
Oh Dear, guess I should'nt have opened my mouth :0/ But we're doomed if the danes are the happiest cos I perceive them as a miserable moaning bunch of arrogant aggressive rude whinebags.
BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT I live in Copenhagen and capitol cities are always the worst. I know people who hated living in the city and are much happier where they are now (still in Dk, and people are much friendlier. Still talking to me Hanne? *scared*;0)
The happiest friendliest danes are the homeless and the junkies. If you want to visit, do so when the sun is shining cos that has an amazing effect on them.
So what you're basically saying is that you want me to become a homeless junkie? *hmpf*
:oP
Of course I'm still talking to you. We're complaining all the time about the weather and whatnot, so I think it's a bit over the top to call us all happy. However, I think that most of us are content.
And yes, capitol cities usually have more extremes than smaller towns.
Im just saddened that such a brilliant country is being destroyed. It was a completely different place not so many years ago. Now with mini Bush in charge, its on the way downhill. I disagree that people are content. Sometimes it takes for danes to live abroad for a while to appreciate what they have here. And I think instead of trying to reverse the situation, its becoming more and more like the american way, leading to different classes and more discontented people, criminality etc. Too much stress, agression and people putting themselves first. And no, Im not naive to think its not happening in other countries. But its different here cos it doesnt have to be like that..
Im just saddened that such a brilliant country is being destroyed. It was a completely different place not so many years ago. Now with mini Bush in charge, its on the way downhill. I disagree that people are content. Sometimes it takes for danes to live abroad for a while to appreciate what they have here. And I think instead of trying to reverse the situation, its becoming more and more like the american way, leading to different classes and more discontented people, criminality etc. Too much stress, agression and people putting themselves first. And no, Im not naive to think its not happening in other countries. But its different here cos it doesnt have to be like that..
When I say that people are content, I guess I'm speaking from my own point of view in the sense that I live in a smaller town with a mentality that is quite different from the one in Copenhagen. It's not that things couldn't be better here, but again, I think things are much more extreme in Copenhagen. Over there, you get all social classes; the really, really rich ones to the North, and the poorer classes in the central parts (and other places, I'm not that good with your local geography).
Although we have some division as well, you don't feel it to such an extent. What I'm trying to say is that the level of, in lack of a better term, felt or perceived happiness really depends which part of the country you live in.
