grumble: leave

OK, so I was curious and went back through my timecards for this year. I've taken three days off without pay (for minor emergencies, seeing repairmen, &c., so as not to cut into actual paid leave), and I've taken a little over nine days' leave (three for reenacting events, six for sickness, doctor visits, etc.) I currently have 13 hours of leave, and I'll accumulate 15 more (if I'm doing the math right) by the end of the year, which makes about three and a half days. So I'll actually have gotten about sixteen days' leave, three of which I got no for. That's our standard allowance (the three I took without pay are because I carried over a deficit from early last year when I was out sick with bronchitis for a couple of weeks.)

Now, federal labor law does not require employers to provide either vacation or sick leave (http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/workhours/vacation_leave.htm and http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/workhours/sickleave.htm), but it strikes me that three weeks time for sick leave and vacation combined is a bit on the stingy side. On the other hand, since a survey by the Urban Institute (http://www.urban.org/Template.cfm?NavMenuID=24&template=/TaggedContent/ViewPublication.cfm&PublicationID=8831) suggests that msot people don't even get that, I guess I should count my blessings (that I have a job and it pays me fairly well) and not complain.