Originally Posted by
Bukkithedd
Here in Norway, I actually HAVE to take three consecutive weeks of vacation in the period from June to late august. I personally never do (I flip my lid if I have to muppet around the house for more than a few days), but that is actually the stated requirement. I get 5 weeks of vacation per year, four of which are paid. Of course, I can, if I wanted to, take an extended leave of absence without pay for anything up to 12 months, but then again, there are strict regulations as to what I can actually do during those months in terms of work.
If I was a teacher, I had even more time off (about 8 weeks worth during the summer). But then again, when you're pulling the hours that teachers here pull (usually from 0700 to 1700, plus time spent correcting tests, exams and homework (usually done outside of working hours), it's not hard to see why it is like that.
The debt-problem doesn't come from that amount of entitlement, it comes from the uncontrolled spending of money that, when the interest-rates skyrocketed, drowned them. The debt comes from overindulgence and the blind faith in that life is a party without a hangover.
The debt-problem isn't just a thing that happens here in Europe. It's rampant in the US as well, where people have been living in a bubble that, back in 2007-2008, burst with severe economic consequences that was felt around the world. That's what happens when you have an economic bubble. The only thing that has for the moment stopped that from happening here in Norway is because we have more money than we need, heh. Hell, I'm looking forward to the housemarket here in Norway faceplants. That fall will be glorious to behold.
When it comes to Joel not posting on the boards, put yourself in his situation before you start flipping your flappin' heads: Would you come here onto these boards to deal with the playerbase when you are on vacation, especially when said vacation is to get away from your job for a while?