Vacation Time – What Employers Look For in a Vacationer
A vacation, is a period of out-of-town travel, typically for the purpose of vacation or leisure, and typically taken for the short term. Most people frequently take a vacation at certain holidays, such as for Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas or Thanksgiving. Vacationers may be on extended vacations, such as for a year, two years, or more. Vacationers also may occasionally take vacations longer than a year, such as when a person returns to school.
Vacation periods range widely. They can be one week, two weeks, four weeks, six weeks, eight weeks or more. Vacation time is generally scheduled for dates such as weekend only, extended weekend, or mid-week, and the total amount of vacation time will depend on the vacation schedule and the financial commitment of the employee, and may be paid vacation time or unpaid time. Often times, an employer will pay their employees for part-time vacation time, but many employers also offer vacation packages which can include hotel stays, plane tickets, and rental cars, depending on the length of the stay.
Vacation pay is generally broken down between regular (working) vacation days, and promotional or incentive (stock purchase or gift cards, clothing, and so on) days. The most common forms of paid vacation time are paid holidays, paid sick days, and annual company vacations. Some companies schedule regular vacation days throughout the year, such as Christmas, Hanukkah, and the like. Vacation days that fall outside of these normal months are referred to as “special vacation days.” For example, if an employee has a free afternoon birthday, they might be able to take their spouse out for lunch or dinner, and be reimbursed for their expense. An employee can ask that the employer pay for vacation days in any case.
There are a variety of different methods used to calculate vacation time, including the date that the employee was hired, the length of the work week, and the number of weeks of full or part-time employment. Generally, though, there are two weeks of vacation at the very minimum and six weeks maximum. This calculation will vary by location, as well as whether the employee has been working with the company for more than two weeks. It will also vary according to the employee’s position. Typically, managers and supervisors have the largest impact on how vacation time is spent, though there may be regional variations depending on the size of a city or region.
Vacation plans are offered by many employers, both large and small. Many employers offer vacation days through their corporate gift cards, vacation packages, car rentals, travel savings, and similar options. They may require employees to use their personal vehicles for trips, and may offer travel bonuses, depending on the local economy. There are also many employers who pay for employees’ meals and lodging expenses while on vacation.
Vacation programs are most effective for employees who spend at least two weeks each year in the same location. Employees who commute to work should also consider short-term vacation pay. These programs are not available everywhere or at every company, and they are not always available through all employers. Vacation programs are best if an employee expects to be away from home for any length of time. If an employee is willing to consider paying for vacation pay, but needs a certain amount of vacation time away from his or her family, there are some great employer-sponsored short-term vacation plans to consider.
