Paid Vacation in the US: A Practical Guide for UK Expats

I moved to the US from the UK a few years ago, and nothing had prepared me for the conversation in which I had to ask my new manager how many days off I was actually entitled to. Back home, it was simple, 28 days minimum, by law, end of story.

Here? I had to read a 12-page employee handbook and still wasn’t sure I understood it.

If you’re relocating to the US, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about paid vacation, PTO, federal holidays, and how to make the most of what you’re given.

Key Takeaways

• There’s no federal law giving you the right to paid vacation in the US. What you actually get depends on your contract, your employer, and sometimes the state you’re in.
• Most full-time private sector workers land somewhere around 10–14 vacation days after year one, plus 8–10 paid holidays, if their employer bothers offering them.
• PTO isn’t always what you think it is. It might mean vacation, sick leave, personal days — or just one pot that covers everything. Always ask exactly what’s in it.
• Don’t just look at the salary number. Factor in vacation days, sick days, fixed holidays, floating days, and what happens to any unused PTO when you leave. The full picture looks very different.

• Americans famously don’t use all their leave. Don’t fall into the same trap. Get your dates in early, be upfront with your manager, and actually take the time. You’re entitled to it, so use it.

How US Paid Vacation Differs from the UK

The biggest shock is this: the US has no national law requiring employers to give you any paid annual leave at all. Zero. Legally, your employer can offer nothing.

In the UK, you’re entitled to 5.6 weeks of annual leave, that’s 28 days including bank holidays. It’s a legal floor, not a favour. In the US, the federal government simply doesn’t require it for private sector workers.

According to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics, around 79% of private-sector employees have access to paid vacation, but that still leaves a meaningful share who don’t, particularly in hospitality and food service, where the figure drops to around 40%.

Language is different, too. Nobody says ‘annual leave’ here. You’ll hear vacation time, PTO days, paid sick, paid holidays, personal days, and floating days. It varies by employer and sometimes by mood. One cultural thing worth knowing early: American colleagues often feel pressure not to take all their leave. Don’t let that become your norm.

The Legal Basics: What Is and Isn’t Guaranteed

At the federal level, almost nothing for private sector workers. The Department of Labor is clear that employers don’t have to pay for time not worked unless a contract or state law says otherwise.

The law that comes up most is the FMLA, the Family and Medical Leave Act. Eligible employees can take up to 12 weeks off for qualifying medical or family reasons. The catch? It’s unpaid. All of it. If you’re expecting something like UK statutory maternity pay, it’s a very different picture.

Some states do go further. Maine, Nevada, Illinois, and cities like New York and San Francisco have gone further than federal law requires. If you’re heading to one of those places, look up the local rules before you accept anything. It can make a real difference to what you’re actually entitled to.

Federal Holidays: Not Automatically Paid

The US has 12 federal public holidays, but here’s the catch: private employers don’t have to observe them or pay you for them.

Most bigger employers cover the obvious ones, New Year’s, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas. But don’t assume. And if a holiday falls on a weekend, ask what happens; you might get the Friday, you might get nothing.

2026 Federal Holidays

Holiday	2026 Date
New Year’s Day	1 January
Martin Luther King Jr. Day	19 January
Presidents’ Day	16 February
Memorial Day	25 May
Juneteenth	19 June
Independence Day	4 July (Saturday — observed 3 July)
Labor Day	7 September
Columbus Day	12 October
Veterans Day	11 November
Thanksgiving	26 November
Christmas Day	25 December

How Many Days Can You Actually Expect?

Most full-time workers in the private sector get around two weeks of paid vacation after their first year, plus paid holidays. In practice, that’s often 18–20 days combined before sick leave is even considered.

Tenure typically works like this:

• After 1 year: around 10 paid vacation days
• After 5 years: around 14–15 days
• After 10 years: around 17–18 days
• After 20+ years: around 20–23 days

Tech, finance, big corporates, unionised workplaces, generally better. Small businesses, especially under 50 employees, often have the bare minimum, and in a lot of states, that minimum is still zero.

Accrual, Waiting Periods, and Earning Your Time

In the UK you usually get your full leave from day one. Not here. You earn it as you go, typically something like an hour of PTO for every 40 hours worked, and a lot of employers make you wait 90 days or even six months before you can touch any of it.

I remember asking HR to walk me through the accrual system when I started my first US job. Asked three times. It’s not that it’s hard to understand; it just felt completely alien coming from the UK. Two things worth knowing up front: ask exactly when you start accruing and when you’re actually allowed to use it.

And before you leave any job, check your state’s rules on unused PTO. Some states make employers pay it out. Others? Gone. Don’t find that out the hard way.

Sick Leave, Family Leave, and Medical Leave

In the US, paid sick leave is typically separate from vacation, and often isn’t guaranteed either. Most private sector workers get around 5–8 sick days, but part-time workers are far less likely to receive any.

Many employers use a Combined Leave Plan (CLP), which pools vacation, sick, and personal days into a single bank. Flexible, yes, but if you get the flu in February, that’s three days gone from your holiday fund.

Paid parental leave varies wildly. California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Washington have state-run paid leave programmes with partial wage replacement. Most other states leave it to the employer, and employer generosity varies enormously.

How the US Compares Internationally

The US stands alone here; it’s the only developed country with no statutory paid annual leave. The EU floor is 20 days. France gets 25. The UK gets 28. It’s not even close.

That said, elite US employers, particularly in tech, can be genuinely generous. Some offer unlimited PTO. Around 6% of US companies have adopted unlimited leave policies, though research suggests employees at those companies often take less leave than those with fixed allowances, not more.

Someone on a relocation forum said it better than I could: “Went from 33 days in the UK to 15 in the US. Salary was great. But I hadn’t really thought about what losing all that time would actually feel like.”

Why US Workers Don’t Take All Their Time

Studies consistently show that over half of American workers don’t use all their earned PTO. In 2018, workers left 768 million vacation days unused; 236 million of those were completely forfeited with no payout.

The reasons are cultural as much as practical. Fear of falling behind, pressure from managers, and a general ‘always on’ attitude in many industries all play a part. As a UK expat, you may find this bizarre at first. Use your days. You earned them.

Practical Tips for Negotiating and Using Your Leave

Before you sign anything, get written confirmation of:

• The number of paid vacation days at each tenure milestone
• Which federal and company holidays are observed and paid
• Paid sick leave entitlement
• Floating days, personal days, or mental health days
• What happens to unused PTO if you leave

If you’re being hired at a senior level, negotiating extra PTO instead of salary is absolutely normal and often easier to get than additional pay. Entry-level roles have less flexibility, but asking never hurts.

Plan your UK trips early in the year. Thanksgiving week plus two vacation days can give you a solid run home without burning through your whole balance. Check approval windows and blackout periods — retail, finance, and healthcare often restrict leave at busy periods.

Budgeting Your Time Off

Your PTO is finite — treat it like a budget. Keep track of what you’ve got and what you’ve used; a basic spreadsheet is fine. Earned PTO, remaining vacation, sick days, paid holidays, anything unpaid you might need. It sounds boring, but it saves a nasty surprise. Two trips home can swallow 8 days before you’ve booked anything else. Chuck in the flights, the jet lag, and a day to decompress after landing, and it disappears faster than you’d think.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my UK holiday entitlement carry over when I move to the US?

No. UK statutory rights don’t transfer to a US employment contract. Your entitlement is governed by federal law, applicable state law, and whatever your US contract says. If you’re being seconded by a UK employer, check whether you remain on UK terms.

Can my employer refuse time off even if I have enough PTO?

Frustratingly, yes, and this catches a lot of UK expats off guard. Having the PTO in your balance doesn’t mean you can take it whenever you like. Your manager can say no for operational reasons, busy periods, team cover issues, you name it. Sick leave with legal protections is a bit different, that’s harder to refuse — but standard vacation days? You still need approval, and you might not always get it when you want it.

Are federal holidays always paid if I work on them?

No. There’s no federal requirement for premium pay on public holidays in the private sector. Some employers offer time-and-a-half or a substitute day, but it depends entirely on your contract or any applicable union agreement.

What happens to unused PTO when I leave a job?

It depends on your state and employer policy. Some states treat earned vacation as wages and require payout on exit. Others allow use-it-or-lose-it. Check your handbook before you hand in your notice — especially if you’re sitting on a decent balance.