Comments on: THE MANY HORRORS OF LEFTIST THINKING http://www.ginandtacos.com/2007/12/27/the-many-horrors-of-leftist-thinking/ OPIATE OF THE ASSES Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:37:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: champaignofblogs http://www.ginandtacos.com/2007/12/27/the-many-horrors-of-leftist-thinking/comment-page-1/#comment-7012 champaignofblogs Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:28:31 +0000 http://www.ginandtacos.com/wp/?p=762#comment-7012 I used to work in broadcast ad sales. Definitely a unique work situation. If you load up your sales and keep your goals met early in the month, you can cruise through the rest of the month and maintain. It's nearly like a paid vacation. However, for the two weeks of alloted "vacation time," it's nearly pointless to take it, because you're still responsible for taking client calls and dealing with shit unless your sales manager or one of your co-workers likes you and will do it for you while you're gone. And when you're working in straight commission sales, it's hard to trust anyone else with your money. The end result? I'm working towards entering academia. I used to work in broadcast ad sales. Definitely a unique work situation. If you load up your sales and keep your goals met early in the month, you can cruise through the rest of the month and maintain. It's nearly like a paid vacation. However, for the two weeks of alloted "vacation time," it's nearly pointless to take it, because you're still responsible for taking client calls and dealing with shit unless your sales manager or one of your co-workers likes you and will do it for you while you're gone. And when you're working in straight commission sales, it's hard to trust anyone else with your money.

The end result? I'm working towards entering academia.

]]> By: Ray http://www.ginandtacos.com/2007/12/27/the-many-horrors-of-leftist-thinking/comment-page-1/#comment-7011 Ray Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:30:14 +0000 http://www.ginandtacos.com/wp/?p=762#comment-7011 Sorry I'm late with my comment, but since so many are from academia I wanted to submit my vacation days too. Besides, I'm always interested in comparing data. I work for a big corporation and I get 25 days of paid time off each year, plus 6 company holidays. Memorial Day, 4th of July, etc. It's a lot more than I got at my last job (also a big corporation), but I'd happily take more and pay more taxes. I'm no econ major, but I also think that the "more time at work = bigger GNP" equation is crap. You think I'm more productive because I'm here for 46 weeks a year? Hardly. Oh, and you'll like this too. I'm a level 4 in my job and am exempt, and last spring they reclassified all the level 3's as non-exempt, which meant that they all lost a week of vacation. My co-worker one level lower than me went from 25 days PTO to 20 days just because they changed her job classification. She quit not to soon after that. Sorry I'm late with my comment, but since so many are from academia I wanted to submit my vacation days too. Besides, I'm always interested in comparing data.

I work for a big corporation and I get 25 days of paid time off each year, plus 6 company holidays. Memorial Day, 4th of July, etc. It's a lot more than I got at my last job (also a big corporation), but I'd happily take more and pay more taxes. I'm no econ major, but I also think that the "more time at work = bigger GNP" equation is crap. You think I'm more productive because I'm here for 46 weeks a year? Hardly.

Oh, and you'll like this too. I'm a level 4 in my job and am exempt, and last spring they reclassified all the level 3's as non-exempt, which meant that they all lost a week of vacation. My co-worker one level lower than me went from 25 days PTO to 20 days just because they changed her job classification. She quit not to soon after that.

]]> By: David Recine http://www.ginandtacos.com/2007/12/27/the-many-horrors-of-leftist-thinking/comment-page-1/#comment-7010 David Recine Fri, 28 Dec 2007 05:59:21 +0000 http://www.ginandtacos.com/wp/?p=762#comment-7010 I get 14 days paid vacation. I get roughly 2 months when I'm "on call"---- the rules are not to stray more than an hour's travel away from the job site during normal work hours--- basically a paid vacation that precludes travel. I don't work in America, or any of the other countries in the above graph. However, when I did work in America, I got 20 days PTO, with the promise of a 20 day increase in 5 years, then a total of 60 days PTO if I lasted ten years. My previous job was call center. So--- get yelled at by angry customers all day at a fortune 500 company, or move overseas. That's what I'm willing to do to get paid vacations. I get 14 days paid vacation. I get roughly 2 months when I'm "on call"—- the rules are not to stray more than an hour's travel away from the job site during normal work hours— basically a paid vacation that precludes travel.

I don't work in America, or any of the other countries in the above graph. However, when I did work in America, I got 20 days PTO, with the promise of a 20 day increase in 5 years, then a total of 60 days PTO if I lasted ten years. My previous job was call center.

So— get yelled at by angry customers all day at a fortune 500 company, or move overseas. That's what I'm willing to do to get paid vacations.

]]> By: peggy http://www.ginandtacos.com/2007/12/27/the-many-horrors-of-leftist-thinking/comment-page-1/#comment-7009 peggy Fri, 28 Dec 2007 01:44:12 +0000 http://www.ginandtacos.com/wp/?p=762#comment-7009 I'm also in academia, but in the high school world. Also, I work at a charter, so instead of the normal 2 wks xmas/1 wk spring break/9wks summer (total: 12 weeks off), I get 2 wks for xmas, 1 wk for fall and 1 for spring, and 6wks in the summertime (total: 10 wks). Which would be great, if my brain wasn't so fucking fried all the time when I'm working--contractually I work from 8am to 4pm, but in actuality I work from 6 or 7 am until 5 or 6 pm most days, with about 10 minutes for lunch. So, in my mind, I sort of end up working my full-time job in shorter bursts, like somebody who works a 40-hour week in four 10-hour days. still, bitch bitch. I could do a much crappier job at my job and get hella time off, especially if I used all 10 of my paid sick/personal days and however many professional days I'm supposed to get. I'm actually not even sure, since it's way more of a pain in the ass to take days off than it is to just go in and teach while I'm sick. WHEEE! Can you tell that the time leading up to winter break was especially stressful this year? I'm looking forward to seeing you this weekend, Ed! I'm also in academia, but in the high school world. Also, I work at a charter, so instead of the normal 2 wks xmas/1 wk spring break/9wks summer (total: 12 weeks off), I get 2 wks for xmas, 1 wk for fall and 1 for spring, and 6wks in the summertime (total: 10 wks). Which would be great, if my brain wasn't so fucking fried all the time when I'm working–contractually I work from 8am to 4pm, but in actuality I work from 6 or 7 am until 5 or 6 pm most days, with about 10 minutes for lunch. So, in my mind, I sort of end up working my full-time job in shorter bursts, like somebody who works a 40-hour week in four 10-hour days.

still, bitch bitch. I could do a much crappier job at my job and get hella time off, especially if I used all 10 of my paid sick/personal days and however many professional days I'm supposed to get. I'm actually not even sure, since it's way more of a pain in the ass to take days off than it is to just go in and teach while I'm sick.

WHEEE! Can you tell that the time leading up to winter break was especially stressful this year?

I'm looking forward to seeing you this weekend, Ed!

]]> By: J. Dryden http://www.ginandtacos.com/2007/12/27/the-many-horrors-of-leftist-thinking/comment-page-1/#comment-7008 J. Dryden Thu, 27 Dec 2007 19:35:26 +0000 http://www.ginandtacos.com/wp/?p=762#comment-7008 Fellow academic, me, so same deal. The benefits package that comes with university-level employment is not to be sneered at, when considering the 'will never be rich' cost of our career--to wit, we gots us some mighty fine health coverage (dental, drugs, and vision all standard), some nice retirement packages, and often get hugely subsidized housing. A lotta pros that go with the cons of staff meetings and grading 83 copies of the same damn mediocre essay...And yes, long vacations. Which, it should be pointed out, many of us use to be academically productive, so it's not as if we're sipping mai-tais at the Barbados Sandals. Fellow academic, me, so same deal. The benefits package that comes with university-level employment is not to be sneered at, when considering the 'will never be rich' cost of our career–to wit, we gots us some mighty fine health coverage (dental, drugs, and vision all standard), some nice retirement packages, and often get hugely subsidized housing. A lotta pros that go with the cons of staff meetings and grading 83 copies of the same damn mediocre essay…And yes, long vacations. Which, it should be pointed out, many of us use to be academically productive, so it's not as if we're sipping mai-tais at the Barbados Sandals.

]]> By: cerb http://www.ginandtacos.com/2007/12/27/the-many-horrors-of-leftist-thinking/comment-page-1/#comment-7007 cerb Thu, 27 Dec 2007 18:39:21 +0000 http://www.ginandtacos.com/wp/?p=762#comment-7007 Being a student, I get zero days of paid work, but that's of course to be expected. I'm only commenting because I've had quite a bit of experience with German university/work vacations (lived/"studied" there for an entire year). While at IU we don't even get fucking Labor Day off, Germans get every conceivable holiday off. Fuck, students in southern Germany, where I studied, got a week off for Pentecost. Yes, an entire week for Pentecost. So of course I channeled the european spirit and took a trip to Norway for a week. A roommate of mine in Germany also got a job somewhere in Bavaria and told me that she was receiving something like 14 days of paid leave per annum. She asked what was normal in the US and didn't believe me when I said zero. Being a student, I get zero days of paid work, but that's of course to be expected. I'm only commenting because I've had quite a bit of experience with German university/work vacations (lived/"studied" there for an entire year). While at IU we don't even get fucking Labor Day off, Germans get every conceivable holiday off. Fuck, students in southern Germany, where I studied, got a week off for Pentecost. Yes, an entire week for Pentecost. So of course I channeled the european spirit and took a trip to Norway for a week.

A roommate of mine in Germany also got a job somewhere in Bavaria and told me that she was receiving something like 14 days of paid leave per annum. She asked what was normal in the US and didn't believe me when I said zero.

]]> By: Rob http://www.ginandtacos.com/2007/12/27/the-many-horrors-of-leftist-thinking/comment-page-1/#comment-7006 Rob Thu, 27 Dec 2007 18:30:20 +0000 http://www.ginandtacos.com/wp/?p=762#comment-7006 I'm in the minority with 22 days pooled sick/vacation and 8 or 9 holidays... Nevertheless, like most of the people I work with, I rarely actually get to use any of that time and I suspect that is not unusual in the business world. Anyway, I blame capitalism and big business. Not because I have any real facts at the ready, but simply because they piss me off. I'm in the minority with 22 days pooled sick/vacation and 8 or 9 holidays… Nevertheless, like most of the people I work with, I rarely actually get to use any of that time and I suspect that is not unusual in the business world.
Anyway, I blame capitalism and big business. Not because I have any real facts at the ready, but simply because they piss me off.

]]> By: Heqit http://www.ginandtacos.com/2007/12/27/the-many-horrors-of-leftist-thinking/comment-page-1/#comment-7005 Heqit Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:17:55 +0000 http://www.ginandtacos.com/wp/?p=762#comment-7005 I work for a public university, so again, my benefits are probably better than most. I earn one day of vacation per month, and it rolls over from year to year. Right now I have about 80 hours of vacation "saved up" -- but since we're chronically understaffed (and! housing market catastrophe = budget cuts = hiring freeze = I'm doing 2 people's jobs!) and overworked I don't have "time" to take it. If I quit, though, they'll have to pay me for it. I get 40 hours of sick leave per year, separate from vacation, and also 16 hours of personal leave separate from both sick and vacation time. Which is kind of great, and boy do I use it. Neither sick leave nor personal leave roll over at the end the the year, so it's use it or lose it. Holidays...we have all the usual ones off, and usually the governor and the university president each give us a half day off before Thanksgiving and Christmas, so we never end up working Christmas Eve or the Wednesday before T-Day. The lesser (well, you know what I mean) holidays -- President's Day, MLK Day, Columbus Day -- we get off, but not ON the day. We work the actual holiday, then we're supposed to get the day off between Christmas and New Year's so that we have that whole week off. BUT that's my office's busy time, so we have to be at work anyway. So I "get" those holidays, but not really. Make what you will of that. Guess I'm still lucky compared to the rest of the US, but damn do I want to move to Europe sometimes... I work for a public university, so again, my benefits are probably better than most. I earn one day of vacation per month, and it rolls over from year to year. Right now I have about 80 hours of vacation "saved up" — but since we're chronically understaffed (and! housing market catastrophe = budget cuts = hiring freeze = I'm doing 2 people's jobs!) and overworked I don't have "time" to take it. If I quit, though, they'll have to pay me for it.

I get 40 hours of sick leave per year, separate from vacation, and also 16 hours of personal leave separate from both sick and vacation time. Which is kind of great, and boy do I use it. Neither sick leave nor personal leave roll over at the end the the year, so it's use it or lose it.

Holidays…we have all the usual ones off, and usually the governor and the university president each give us a half day off before Thanksgiving and Christmas, so we never end up working Christmas Eve or the Wednesday before T-Day. The lesser (well, you know what I mean) holidays — President's Day, MLK Day, Columbus Day — we get off, but not ON the day. We work the actual holiday, then we're supposed to get the day off between Christmas and New Year's so that we have that whole week off. BUT that's my office's busy time, so we have to be at work anyway. So I "get" those holidays, but not really. Make what you will of that.

Guess I'm still lucky compared to the rest of the US, but damn do I want to move to Europe sometimes…

]]> By: Liz http://www.ginandtacos.com/2007/12/27/the-many-horrors-of-leftist-thinking/comment-page-1/#comment-7004 Liz Thu, 27 Dec 2007 14:50:46 +0000 http://www.ginandtacos.com/wp/?p=762#comment-7004 I have no official paid holiday time, flex time, sick time, or even overtime. My boss paid us 35 hours for Christmas week. I have no official paid holiday time, flex time, sick time, or even overtime. My boss paid us 35 hours for Christmas week.

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