Modern living is all about having a healthy life and a balanced work/life balance. We’ve seen the importance of work/life balance become more important with the increase in people working remotely or at home.
It is important to compare your average work hours per year with the national average. This will help you determine if you are in a healthy balance.
It is a well-known fact that Americans work longer hours than many people in western countries. Americans actually work 258 hours per year more than the European average. This equates to one hour more work per day.
How many hours does a person work in a year to earn a living in the United States? Let’s take a look at the math and see if you are working too hard.
We’ll cover
Paid Vacation and Paid Time Off
What is the difference between Paid Holidays and Paid Time Off?
Work Hours: A Breakdown
The typical workweek for someone who works full-time is approximately 40 hours. This is 8 hours per day, 5 days a semaine. There are 52 weeks in an year. Therefore, the average working hour is 2,080.
Simple right?
But it is rare that anyone works more than 2,080 hours per year. You might want to talk with your employer about adding breaks into your work year.
Most businesses will allow for time off throughout the year. These include paid holidays, employee sick days, and paid time off for other work absences.
If we take 8 holidays and 10 paid days off, it leaves 18 workdays. This means that the average worker will work 1,936 hours per year, even if they take any unpaid days off.
Paid Vacation and Paid Time Off
It is important for both employees and employers to know the difference between paid vacation and paid time off.
Businesses are not required by the U.S. federal to offer paid vacation. Most businesses offer paid vacation for between 5 to 15 days per year. On average, this is 10 days per annum.
The United States is the only advanced country that doesn’t offer paid vacations or holidays to its workers. Federal law does not allow for vacation pay, as the Fair Labor Standards Act doesn’t require payment for time worked.
What is the difference between Paid Holidays and Paid Time Off?
Paid Holiday
Paid holidays are days that the federal government recognizes as public holidays. There are 8 holidays currently in existence:
- New Year’s Day
- Inauguration Day
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Juneteenth National Independence Day
- George Washington’s Birthday
- Memorial Day
- Labor Day
- Independence Day
Private employers are not allowed to give employees these days off.
Paid Time off
Employees are often offered a benefit package that includes paid time off. This is a common practice.
It is a great way to increase employee motivation and morale.
You could also take advantage of paid time off:
- Days off
- Vacation Time
- Personal Days
- Federally recognized holidays
These are, once again, considered a benefit and not required by federal labor laws.
Key Takeaways
It doesn’t matter if you are new to the workforce or have worked for many years, it is important to know your work hours.
Your hours are a good indicator of your work/life balance. It is also possible to determine your hourly rate as well as your annual income.
These things will help you make better decisions about your career and your future.
It is important to know your worth as a worker, and not sacrifice your work for low pay. You can improve your mental and physical health by tracking your hours and making sure that you are properly compensated. You can also improve your overall health.
Do you need more business advice, from setting up a business to implementing new business practices?
