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So, for those who WANT the extra time, it is better to have the govt force the companies to give that time.
Because in most of the U.S. such a 'choice' really doesn't exist. You either deal with very little vacation time or you simply don't get hired in the first place.
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Sure, you have career choices. You can be self employed (consultant), run your own small business, or you can be a teacher
And most small businesses I have worked at are very flexible about extra time off, it's frequently negotiable (but you aren't likely to get paid for it).
But you simply can't simultaneously maximize your earnings and your free time, in any system. And europe's stifling job laws have had a real negative effect on their net worth. And that contributes to fewer choices and less freedom in the long run. They have systemic unemployment problems.
The laws are so restrictive that you can't hire a full time employee without committing to employ them for life. I helped run an american software company that consciously limited it's hires in our european subsidaries to ensure we would be stuck paying massive buyouts to get rid of employees.
In france to address this a few years ago they proposed allowing business to hire young people on a less permanent commitment, to get business motivated to hire more people. The youth of france rioted and the proposal was squashed.