When to join ICC!

Oregon is lovely.

I am dying to do Cycle Oregon.

This is a fully supported 7-day ride, they carry all your stuff, pitch a tent for you and provide food and live music.

Why am I even living here!

It's a good question David. Why ARE you living here when you could be enjoying that Oregon way of life?!

I don't even know that.

Oh, hang on, I remember...

...in the US, health insurance is like a second mortgage and you only get 2 weeks holiday per year.

Free healthcare with the NHS and 5 weeks holiday per year (plus bank holidays) for the win!

David, You need to negotiate some better leave. 32.5 days plus BH for me.

Butr other than that, and the NHS.

Why?

thirty two and a half days' holiday?!?!

+The_Other_Rob - I can take a flexi day once a month - so I can claim 37 days plus BHs - that is hard to give up

Thirty seven days holiday?!?!?!

Knew I should have gone into the public sector

25 days holiday

Once a month a flexi day is permitted, if you do enough overtime

30 Days for me.

plus...an extra day for the Queens Birthday. Half a days holiday for Maundy Thursday and fixed "Privilage Day" (Christmas Eve).

I can also take upto 26 days Flexi days so essentially I can have nearly 60 days off a year (provided I do the overtime).

That is the ONLY good thing about public sector....

Crikey.
I am not going to weigh in on the public sector/private sector issue as I would hate for +shannonball to feel got at.
When you take account of US public and local holidays US employees get significantly more than two weeks a year. Where is our Memorial Day, Labor Day, MLK Day, etc al? As you might expect, I have this debate with my US partners all the time!
As regards US healthcare it is not like a second mortgage, as least not unless you mandate that everyone has to have it and the terms on which they do so, which is what is happening currently. And the US has very significant subsidised/free healthcare programmes such as Medicare and Medicaid. And as regards quality of care, I refer you to Mid-Staffs. US/UK mortality rates for key disorders show the failings of the NHS all too clearly, and given current demographics the NHS simply won't be there when you need it. (If, heaven forbid, anything serious were to happen to me I am out of here on the first flight.)
So book your ticket +shannonball. If it wasn't such a socialist republic I might choose Oregon myself. It has to be Wyoming for me, especially given how great the skiing is.
(I am now going to retire to my bunker.)

@RichardM - Agreed

All this paid time off is making you lot soft in the head, I tell thee.

Consider being self employed. Where you have to save up to pay for the holiday, and to afford the time off to have the holiday as well. Doh.

I feel like we're in the Four Yorkshiremen Monty Python sketch though...

http://youtu.be/Xe1a1wHxTyo

Given the number of "Yorkshirepersons" we have in the club I often have that feeling.

:salutes:
Yaarkshire born, Yaarkshire bred.
Strong in't arm and thick in't head.

@RichardM It's "Yorkshire Folk", thank you.

+Laura - Noted. Apologies. I am sure they call you lot something different in Lancashire.

And of course, who can forget the Yorkshireman's mantra...

See all, 'ear all, and say nowt
Eat all, sup all, and pay nowt
An' if tha ever does out for nowt
Do it for thissen

Charming bunch, aren't we?

It's safe to say this thread is now wildly off topic. Good work everyone :)

+Laura - I will stop now. I was just being mischievous.

@Laura that reminds me. I'll have to dig out my Barnsley-English phrasebook...

Happy to continue the hols/healthcare debate offline

+shannonball - Sounds best.

Agreed

i might be changing the topic, but have we given the 'shame wenches' an official committee role?