There's a strong chance that I could get a postdoc in the USA. I've been told it's 12 days paid holiday a year (so bad! but what I was expecting). If I want to go back to UK twice a year to see my family - its all used up.
There was something about 12 days of 'holiday leave' as well. Is this optional unpaid holiday? I'd really like to travel the US too so another week or so off for holiday (even unpaid) would be great.
It's a great opportunity I'd never turn down, but travel is very important to me. I don't think 3 weeks off is too much to ask?

hi elflick
welcome to the forum! yes 3 weeks off isn't much to ask!

About the 12 days of holiday leave and 12 days paid holiday, it sounds like it's the same :-)

I guess the best thing to do is to ask the HR people there (when you have got your offer) to clarify it :-)

maybe someone else can answer your question :-)

love satchi

You might want to read this in relation to your 12 days annual leave stipulation. The USA is the only country where annual leave is not protected by law in the developed world. If sick leave is to be taken out of the annual holiday, that doesn't leave very much at all.

I hesitate to criticise as during the last two years of my PhD, I think I only took 10 days of my 35 days entitlement off each year (UK).

I'm on 26 days back in the real world and I do normally struggle to use it all up.

Ian (Mackem_Beefy)

Hi,
yes that is true, the US don't have minimum rules like in the UK and many other countries... I was interested (as I have studied in the US for a short time and visited there for work) and so I took a quick look online..I believe you would get 12 days annual leave which you can choose - the other 12 days relates to state holidays e.g. christmas day etc. You could perhaps negotiate a fractional contract e.g. a 0.8 which would give you the time, or indeed negotiate a further few weeks off unpaid. You should discuss and agree this if offered the role.
I am very lucky and get more than the standard 26 days in my role now, though I do have to take it all out of term time, which is sometimes tricky (though I usually manage it!!) :) good luck!

That few seems ridiculous to me. A family crisis and that's the leave gone. How does your average American get any decent R&R time?

Even Japan has started to get it's act together with respect to giving ordinary people some decent leave (18 days a year average compared to - so I was told - 7 days some years ago).

Ian (Mackem_Beefy)