Do Americans really only get two weeks of annual leave? 

If you’ve been scrolling social media recently then you might have come across various discussions surrounding holiday laws in America.

What do we mean? Well, according to chatter online our American friends are not entitled to paid time off from work in the same way us Brits are. But is that actually true?

In this article we’ll take a look at the American approach to annual leave and how it differs from what we’re used to in the UK.

How much time off do Americans get?

The rumours are true, Americans are not legally entitled to any paid time off. Unlike Brits who get a minimum of 28 days annual leave (with some companies even offering unlimited annual leave) there’s no such entitlement for American workers.

In reality, most American employers do offer at least some paid leave to employees, but the average is around 10 days so still a long way off what British workers are used to.

Why is it so low?

Put simply, annual leave entitlement is so low in America because there are much fewer laws and regulations surrounding employment in general in the US, not least ones that focus on time off.

It’s worth remembering though that for American workers their lack of paid time off is normal and many find it absurd the amount of holidays and days off their European counterparts take throughout the year. 

The idea that many Europeans take the whole month of August off or that many British workers have so much annual leave they end up carrying leave over to the next year is baffling to many Americans.

While American annual leave may be at a minimum, workers in the US do benefit from more public holidays than those in the UK so it’s not all bad.

Sabbatical leave

While American holiday entitlement may not be great, there are various perks that are much more commonplace in US businesses compared with British ones.

One such perk is sabbatical leave. Sabbatical leave is an extended break from work where an employee is able to focus on either personal or professional development before returning to their role.

While sabbaticals are relatively rare in the UK, in the US they’re much more commonplace, allowing employees to take time to focus on a project or challenge away from the workplace.

There are also various other benefits that US workers can expect as part of their employment package such as the option to buy back annual leave. 

Final Thoughts

See, we bet your UK job with a chunky annual leave entitlement doesn’t seem so bad now does it? 

Just like in any country, there are pros and cons to the American approach to employment laws and policies, but it’s fair to say that for many Brits the lack of annual leave comes as a huge shock.

Considering annual leave is protected by law in the UK, it’s perhaps no surprise that the American approach is causing such a stir online right now!

Lucy Nixon - content writer

With 10 years experience in the digital marketing industry, Lucy is a content writer specialising in ecommerce, website building and all things small business. Her passion is breaking down tricky topics into digestible and engaging content for readers. She's also committed to uncovering the best platforms, tools, and strategies, researching meticulously to providing hand-on tips and advice.