Vacation and Labor Law
In the United States, federal labor law does not require companies to give their employees vacation time. However, each state has its own labor laws that companies must understand and abide by, and most companies have written vacation policies.
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U.S. Norm
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Although no federal law requires companies to give employees vacation, paid or unpaid, most companies do offer a vacation package to stay competitive and attract the best workers. Vacation time is often an integral part of an employee compensation package, and job seekers may be able to negotiate for more time off in lieu of a higher salary. Two weeks off a year is the norm for full-time workers in the U.S.
Jury Duty, Voting, Military Service
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Federal law requires that all companies give employees time off for specific activities such as jury duty, voting and military service. A company cannot fire an employee for not being at work if he can prove he was doing one of these activities.
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Company Policy and the Law
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If company policy or an employee's contract specifies two weeks of paid vacation time, employees are entitled to this time off by law. If a company wants to change its policy to give less vacation time, this is permissible, but workers' immediate vacation plans cannot be cancelled.
State Vacation Law
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Employers must know and understand the labor laws of the states in which they operate. If they violate vacation laws, they are open to litigation.
Vacation Pay Upon Termination
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When an employee leaves a company, he is entitled to be paid for any vacation days he did not take. Even if the employee was fired, the company cannot withhold vacation pay.
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References
- Photo Credit vacation image by Vladislav Gajic from Fotolia.com
