How to Accrue Vacation Time

Work more. For most jobs that offer paid vacation, simply showing up to work helps you accrue vacation days. Though the specific rules will vary from business to business, usually, every day, week, or pay period worked will add a specific number of hours or days toward your total vacation time. For instance, in the U.S., it's common for an entry-level full-time employee to earn about two weeks (10 work days) of paid vacation per year. Assuming about 250 days of work per year (5 days per week × 52 weeks per year - 10 days for holidays), this means that each day worked earns about 1/25 (4%) of a paid vacation day.

• As noted, however, vacation arrangements can vary greatly between jobs. For instance, some employers may grant all vacation days at the beginning of the year and allow the employee to use them as she pleases. Other jobs — especially part-time and "temp" jobs — may not allow for any paid vacation at all.
• Note also that many employers choose to grant their employees "sick days" and/or "personal days" in addition to normal paid vacation time. These usually accrue at different rates than ordinary vacation days and are intended to be used for illnesses, moving, and other situations when the obligations of the employee's personal life interfere with his work commitment. However, it's common practice for employees to sometimes use these days for vacation time.

If you're a new hire, finish your probationary period. Sometimes, employers require that a new employee works a certain length of time before he becomes eligible for benefits, including vacation time and other paid time off. If this is the case for your job, you'll need to finish your probationary period before you begin to earn paid vacation time — there isn't really a way around this.

• Like an employee's benefits, the length of a new hire's probationary period can vary from company to company. For instance, some companies have probationary periods of three months, while others have probationary periods twice as long.^[2]
• It's also important to note that employers may place an employee on "probationary" status for disciplinary reasons. If this is the case for you, you'll need to work with your employer to fix the problems that caused your probation to start accruing vacation time once again.

Stay with your company in the long haul. Usually, long-term employees are rewarded for their loyalty with additional vacation time. Working for the same company over many years can have other benefits, as well, including raises, recognition, and additional work flexibility. If you're a relatively new hire but you're happy with your current job, consider aiming for a few years of good work to start earning additional vacation time.

• While vacation policies differ greatly between employers, on average, new hires in the U.S. earn about 14 days of paid vacation per year, while employees who have been working for more than 15 years earn about twice as much at 27 days per year.

If you're allowed, buy more vacation time. Even with paid vacation time, it can be tricky to schedule a lengthy, refreshing break from work — sometimes, two weeks per year just doesn't cut it. For situations where employees need to take breaks longer than the amount of vacation time they have saved up, some employers allow their workers to buy additional time from other employees or the company itself. In these cases, the vacation time is almost always valued at the full value of the equivalent time worked — for instance, if you make $20 per hour, a full eight-hour day off of work would cost 8 × 20 = $160.

• Note that, in these situations, the cost of the time off isn't usually paid as a lump sum. Instead, the cost is deducted in small amounts over a long period of time from the employee's regular paychecks.^[3]

Switch to full-time work if you are a temporary or part-time hire. Independent contractors, seasonal workers, and most other part-time or temporary ("temp") employees do not usually accrue vacation time, no matter how much they work. The logic behind this is that part-time workers have much greater flexibility in their hours than full-time workers, so they don't "need" as much vacation time. However, in reality, it's easy for a temp worker with one or more jobs to end up working long hours without accruing any sorts of benefits (including vacation time). If you're in this situation, try making the switch to full-time employment either by reworking your commitment at your current job or by finding new work.

• If you're a temp worker and you're on good terms with your boss, you may want to cautiously try asking for enough work to qualify as full-time and start earning benefits. Note, however, that the prospects for temp workers can be slim in this regard — many temps have a difficult time making the transition to full-time work.^[4]

Make the most of other "time off" to save vacation time. As noted above, vacation days are often not the only type of paid leave offered by employers. Companies often offer a certain number of "sick days" and "personal days" per year for things like illnesses, moving days, and so on. While these often don't accumulate as rapidly as paid vacation days (for instance, some employers offer one sick day per month worked), you may want to use these to take breaks when possible to preserve your vacation time.^[5]

• Keep in mind that employers are also legally obligated to give you time off for certain types of important duties that are beyond your control. For instance, if you get a jury duty summons, most states have laws in place that require your employer to give you time off without requiring you to use your vacation days.^[6] Similar protections are in place for members of the armed forces or reserves who have periodic military duties. However, these laws do not always require your employer to pay you for the time off.
• In addition, many employers offer several days of paid bereavement leave when a close family member dies. However, this is often not mandated by law.^[7]

Don't let your vacation time reach its "cap". Most workplaces have a "cap" on the amount of vacation time that can be accrued. This means that once you have a certain level of vacation time saved up (like, for instance, three weeks), you won't continue to earn more vacation time, no matter how much you work. You want every hour that you work to go towards more vacation time, so if you're about to "cap out" on vacation time, seriously consider taking time off.

• Vacation caps vary between employers — in many states, the law is worded to allow employers to offer as high or as low of a cap as is "reasonable." However, many state and private agencies set minimum recommended amounts. For instance, in California, the CEA (California Employers Association) recommends a "cap" of at least 1.5 times the annual amount of vacation accrued per year.

Be ready to negotiate. Like wages, health insurance, 401(k) accounts, and other benefits, an employee's vacation time is subject to negotiation — especially in the U.S., where there is no national mandate for paid vacation time. If you can't get the level of vacation time you want without specifically asking for it, ask for it. If your employer is willing to talk, you may be able to reach an agreement that's satisfactory for both of you.

• However, it's worth noting that the strength of your bargaining position can vary greatly depending on your standing with your boss, the quality of your work, your current hours, the desirability of your skills, and more. In general, employees who are on good terms with their boss, who have a record of good work, and who have high-demand skills are more likely to fare well in negotiations.
• If you've decided to negotiate with your employer (or potential employer), see the section below for helpful advice on getting the level of vacation that you want.

If all else fails, look for a different job. If you're unable to get the amount of vacation time you need at your current job by using any of the strategies above, you may want to consider looking for other work. If you have a proven record of good work, highly sought-after skills, or both, there's a chance you may be able to secure a greater amount of paid vacation at a new job than at a current one.

• Keep in mind, however, that when you leave a job you forfeit all of the paid vacation you've saved up for that job. About half of the fifty states have laws that require an employee to be paid for his unused time off when he quits or is fired.^[8] If you don't live in one of these states, strongly consider taking your vacation before you quit.