Is 20 days annual leave enough for you?

[Rainydays55]

For those if you who have 20 days annual leave plus bank hols - is that enough for you or do you find yourself needing more?

So what do you do with teenagers while you’re at work if there are no holiday clubs?

@Alayalaya

So what do you do with teenagers while you’re at work if there are no holiday clubs?

I don't have teenagers but I would have assumed they entertained themselves?

People leave 13-14 year olds home alone all day? I’d have thought 16 was the absolute minimum. What’s the law nowadays?

I have 35 plus the time between Christmas and New Year, and I struggle to use ot all. Cant afford endless holidays and get bored being at home

@Alayalaya

People leave 13-14 year olds home alone all day? I’d have thought 16 was the absolute minimum. What’s the law nowadays?

There is no law, it's about sensible parental risk assessment.

I don't have teenagers but I have friends who do and I don't know anyone who would be putting a 13-14 year old in childcare, they would just spend the day at home

I get 26 plus bank holidays. I can buy another 5. I think it's plenty!

@Alayalaya

People leave 13-14 year olds home alone all day? I’d have thought 16 was the absolute minimum. What’s the law nowadays?

My niece is 13 and she started staying home alone for the first time in the October half term just gone. By 16 I think lots are also ok overnight alone as long as there is no risk of parties!!

@Alayalaya

People leave 13-14 year olds home alone all day? I’d have thought 16 was the absolute minimum. What’s the law nowadays?

I have left my 3 children at 13 many many times? So has everyone I know? What are you talking about?🙄

I get 28, but we don't take any bank holidays. If Christmas/new year falls during the week, we'd need to subtract days for that.
For example, in 2021, I got my full 28 days to take, as Christmas was on a weekend.
This year, I'll have 26 days to use, as boxing day and the 2nd January are on Mondays, so we'll need to use holidays for these days.
I would love more. You get an extra 5 days if you've been there for over 10 years, but unfortunately I've another 5 years to go to get there!

As a 14 year old in the 90s I was babysitting other people's children for the day. Of course a 14 year old can be left alone!

cries in Canadian

@Alayalaya

People leave 13-14 year olds home alone all day? I’d have thought 16 was the absolute minimum. What’s the law nowadays?

There isn't one really. Bit of a grey area. Common sense type of thing I think

God no 20 days would be nowhere near enough. I'm NHS so get 33 days plus bank holidays pro rata as I'm part time. It's definitely one of the biggest perks of the job.

@LovePoppy

cries in Canadian

Is Canadian annual leave allowance similar to that in the US? I assumed you'd do a bit better than your cousins across the border

@Alayalaya

People leave 13-14 year olds home alone all day? I’d have thought 16 was the absolute minimum. What’s the law nowadays?

Much as I'm horrified at the idea of leaving my DCs at home alone, I know I will because I'll have to once they reach 13/14, and that it's be fine because it's normal! I live in an area where the council puts on really great free or very cheap activities for teens in the holidays so my DCs will be doing that, assuming they are still happening (things like football, film making, even water sports). We're very lucky to have that.

The other thing about the job I had that only offered 20 days holiday was that they also only offered statutory minimum maternity, paternity and sick pay. So it really was indicative of how they treated their staff. They had high staff turnover...

My last job was for a university so 30 days annual leave, 8 BH, 3 extra days at both Xmas and Easter so 44 days off in total. They also offered 'special' leave a paid day or two off eg if you had a parent in hospital and needed to visit to organise care package, and up to two days 'moving house' leave.

Perhaps the biggie though was leave booked in hours - it wasn't an hourly paid job but leave was booked in hours so, if you had to go to a school
assembly or take car into garage before work you used up just an hour's leave at the beginning of the day instead of having to take a half or whole day.

Medical appts is an interesting one - we can book a GP or dentist in work hours without logging it, as long as beginning or end of day. But a more involved appt eg major dental work or a hospital visit you either have to put it down as a half or full day of sick leave or take it as holiday. The sick leave is on full pay but could backfire on you if you have too many 'instances' within a year. Some people are protected by legislation - maternity and disability - from this.

Alayalaya

Do you think everyone should just walk out of their jobs just because they can't leave dcs at home in the hols!!! The clubs won't take them if they are over 12. I know if we all gave up working, we wouldn't be able to pay a mortgage and wouldn't have a home for them to stay in.

I get 25 plus bank holidays and I also buy an extra 5. I'd still like more!!

@shmippy most places start at 10 days + stats. Federal govt starts at 15 + stats

Some places make you work a full year to take any days excluding stats (bank holidays).

It can be better than the states, but nowhere near as generous as what posters are griping about here

I've never had anything more than 20 days in all the companies I've worked for. It wasn't enough when I had a busy full on office job but now I have a more relaxed flexible WFH job, it's not too bad. I don't need to take holiday time to run errands, for childcare or medical appointments. Since pandemic, there's not been anywhere worth holidaying to anyway.

I'm a full time working single mum - I get 26 days per year annual leave - there are 65 school holiday days to cover. I use my legally entitled OPL (England) at 1 week per year, sometimes 2 weeks if I can afford to (everyone entitled to 16 weeks up to age 16 I think) - it's unpaid and you have to take the whole week at once but it means I take at least 1 whole week off to spend with my DC. The rest of the holidays I divvy up with 2/3 days annual leave, a day at GP's, a day at a friends (we swop favours on this as the kids enjoy time together (playdate style). It's been a struggle but just about works.

I could if I had to, I carry 8 most years and have 30 plus public holidays. But then I also have flexi

A huge number of women in my area work part time. In part to "cover" holidays and/or after school. It just isn't common to see primary kids in before/after school club 8-6 here. Similarly I don't know any 13 year olds left at home 8-6 all day every day in summer.

One friend who is ft works from home all day - secondary kids aren't left. Another one who works a lot of hours has a work at home husband, another granparents.

It's not a super hugh earning area though so I guess that reflects the choices people have made. It certainly doesn't reflect mumsnet in this area!

@Alayalaya

People leave 13-14 year olds home alone all day? I’d have thought 16 was the absolute minimum. What’s the law nowadays?

There's no law.

I was home alone all day in the holidays from age 12.

I actually meant that if you can't cope with "only" 20 days annual leave maybe people should work less days per week and then they will have extra days off. Honestly, some of you are coming across as work shy!

You can't coldly compare holiday between the US and the UK and make a ridiculous statement like we're 'workshy'. This is what we are used to and legally entitled to depending on FT or PT working hours. It may be more than you but this is our normal.