Holidays cut into UK growth...

August 23, 2002 6:50 AM

Holidays cut into UK growth... Wow, so much for National Slacker Day being a good thing! Although honestly, I cannot see where they have more National Holidays than the US does... Must be all our 40 plus hour work weeks.
posted by gloege (10 comments total)

I counted twelve US holidays, there are ten in the UK.
posted by vbfg at 7:55 AM on August 23, 2002

The two extra bank holidays for the Queen's Jubilee plus unofficial holidays for the World Cup are what have taken their toll here.

The worst part is that the Government's spending estimates for the next few years are all based on growth rates of something like 2.5%p.a. The Government has started spending according to these figures and they'll need to find some way to cover it.

Prepare for Labour Tax and Spend people!
posted by saintsguy at 8:13 AM on August 23, 2002

Blaming the lag on the Jubilee and the World Cup is inconclusive according to the article...
posted by gloege at 8:51 AM on August 23, 2002

There was only one extra holiday for the Jubilee, the other one was held over from May. There are normally only 8 national holidays in England and Wales. Which is less than most of Europe and the US
posted by devon at 9:55 AM on August 23, 2002

But five weeks holiday is standard in the UK, here in the US we get a measly two...
posted by zeoslap at 10:38 AM on August 23, 2002

Not to mention the fact that nowhere in the US (apart from gubmint offices) actually gives their employees all those holidays off.

This year I got...

New Years Day
Martin Luther King Jr
Presidents Day
Good Friday
Memorial Day
Independance Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day

so Inauguration Day, Flag Day, and Veterans Day were in work :( Sigh.
posted by zeoslap at 10:43 AM on August 23, 2002

I only get five days holiday where I work-
New Year's Day
July 4th
Labor Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas Day
I've always thought at least Memorial Day should be important enough to be off. Or it should be on a Sunday every year.
posted by allpaws at 12:52 PM on August 23, 2002

like zeoslap said "holiday" is the rest of the English speaking world's word for our "vacation"

what i got from the article was more people were taking their holidays (vacation days) than in the past.

i have 4 weeks vacation and i make sure i take every single day. of course with holiday days off, it means i have to put in 60 hours a week when i am at work. damn. now i'm sad.
posted by birdherder at 2:09 PM on August 23, 2002

Four weeks' paid holiday, not including bank holidays, makes British workers happy. Except for those who work funky shifts, since the papers don't even take Good Friday off these days, although the printers are happy to knock a few hours off the day. Still, it means you get to pick quieter times than the detested bank holiday weekends, and that usually means the weather's nicer too.
posted by riviera at 3:39 PM on August 23, 2002

I think that working on holidays is far more fun, especially if you have no kids, wife, etc. Holidays are great days to work! Often the boss isn't there, and you can pretty much get the run of the place. You don't have to do much, and you're really just there because some rota says so. Even better, if you're a shift worker you get more per hour! Holidays are great!
posted by wackybrit at 1:42 PM on August 24, 2002