>>> I guess some people still get vacations. >>If you don't, then you have a bone to pick with your employer. > China, shockingly, has only 5 days mandated vacation for employees > with >1 year seniority. > Only one country listed has fewer. > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_statutory_minimum_employment_leave_b= y_country I am uncertain how exactly that applies in practice. They seem to have a significant number of statutory or special holidays which may be received by many people in addition to what is listed there. For the Chinese New Year holiday the whole country shuts down to a greater or lesser extent - mostly greater. I have known some people to only be unavailable for one week at this time but two weeks is common and three not unknown. Then there are other special days or groups of days. eg "Tomb Sweeping day" is one such. BUT I worked for one week at a Chinese factory where workers worked for 10 hours every day, 365 days/year, except on leap years. Time off granted for exceptional events by special advance arrangement. Unpaid, of course. May not be granted. I noted at least one request to attend a wedding being turned down. Don't like it? Then leave. Plenty more people available to take your place. Preferred employer in the area. Well out of town in a low income area, which was no mistake. As I recall, for the 30 days x 10 hours =3D 300 hours work monthly, staff got paid 600 RMB. About $US100. * The owner / operator was a white skinned US national A very interesting week indeed. Russell * That was probably ~=3D 2009 Current state minimum wage is currently notionally somewhere over 2000 RMB/month. I heard of some people in other jobs getting maybe 500 RMB/month. --=20 http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .