It definitely depends on where you work. I started out working as a salaried engineer at IBM. At 15 years, I had four weeks of paid vacation, around 15 holidays, sick time up to six months (with doctor's note), and no time off with the birth of a child. That was one of the more generous companies I worked for. I think I started at two weeks vacation, went to three weeks at five years, then four weeks at 15 years. No more than one week of vacation could be carried over to the next year. There was no extended leave, although some companies do offer sabbaticals. I was laid off in 1998.
My next employer had a similar plan. They shut down the facility after five years.
My current employer offers fewer paid holidays and is less generous with vacation. After 14 years with the company I've only got three weeks of paid vacation, plus they put me on call on some weekends to support manufacturing. I think I get 12 paid holidays. I think my salary is about 15% lower than what it would be at IBM or Ericsson, but for the power industry it is probably fairly good. The high tech companies pay pretty well compared to the power industry.
The bias in the US has always been towards the employer. Some employers can also require employees sign non-compete contracts that restrict who they can work for after they leave. After I was laid off by Ericsson, I went to work for a small consultant company doing design work. I was there about a year, then my employer got bought by another larger consulting company. They required me to sign a contract stating I couldn't work for another consulting company or any of our customers for two years if I terminated employment wtih them, regardless of whether I quit or was fired. I refused, and three months later I was laid off.
Capitalists rule in the USA. Unless you've signed a non-compete contract, you are able to seek a job at any time and with any employer. Your pay and vacation is subject to negotiation. If you don't like the package, don't accept the job. If you want a better package, look for a new job and give your employer two weeks notice (not a requirement, but a courtesy).
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