This is exactly what seems to be missing in the US: courtesy.

A system that gives everyone entitled leave means better employees and less downtime due to leave (surprise surprise, courtesy leads to coordination).

Shockingly this leads to people caring about their team mates, and things aren't zero sum anymore.

Over here in Germany where everybody has at least 3 weeks paid time off (being ill does not count to this contingent btw), it is common that leaves are planned in the beginning of the year for larger vacations, so there are no collisions.

Also, if you have children you have priority during school breaks for paied leaves.

This concept could be copied by us employers also, I wonder why not? Maybe because this way you can pressure your employees with your vacation as leverage

And in this system, it is common courtesy to make effort to make sure your team has as few problems as possible from your absence. Of course it is also common courtesy that you are not contact for anything work related during your vacation time.

All of this is possible in North America, but you need a union job.

My day-job is a unionionized Managed Services gig subsidiary of a larger company. The rest of the company fits a stereotype we see in the deLoittes and IBM Pro Servs of the world, but the union contract gives us a sane bit of breathing room:

• 9x9 'compressed' time so you get one day off each week regardless
• statutory holidays are sacred
• OT for weekend work, but it quickly goes double-time so it's rare; and holidays are 2.5x quickly
• standby time is paid. Call-outs are paid.
• mandated remote work capability. It's in the union contract, guys, so we can Work From Home Office or Work From HQ as best suits us

The combo of compressed time, stats and careful placement of my 21 vacation days this year will give me 7 carefully-placed weeks off; it's not contiguous, but it's really great.

But it's also known that for example august is a slow month so you are not expecting a full workforce.

Yeah but courtesy is running dry as of late :(

That is how I expect it at every company! Great!

I don't see why this pool should logically get smaller. In the other hand though, the USA avoids the way, other countries are handling job training , like the devil water.

No, skilled labor gets more important from day to day. But it costs more. So let's hire people that will settle for less, and kick them out if they reach there limit.

In most countries, you have a multi year on the job training + school before you consideres a skilled worker in this job. I for example carry the title of a "Journeyman of Electronics and Communication". I am not working in this field anymore, but usually, most people stay with that they learned.

Long ramble short: no the pool of skilled jobs is shrinking, capitalism is expanding

Let me guess - they only approve when it's a good time, and somehow it's seldom a good time?

Most places start asking for vacation requests a month or two out before schools do theirs.

Sorry, I'm confused. What does this mean? Do schools in other countries not make their annual schedules before the school year begins? Or do "most places" you reference only allow you to ask for vacation during a certain calendar month? Or am I way off with both of those guesses?

Most places I've worked ask for people to request vacation by a minimum of one month before said-vacation occurs. Where I live, schools have their entire calendar (including holidays and extended breaks) planned by August. So if somebody wanted to request time off for winter or spring break, they'd probably have plenty of time to coordinate. Does it work differently where you live?

Yes, no. We have strict school attendece laws (and no homeschooling btw), so you can't just do some vacation sometimes else this year.

Also, the kids have a right to free time and vacation.

And: traveling outside school breaks is far more convenient anyways.. no kids at the pool

We have a mixture. We have laws mandate minimum to vacation time, that the employer must respect the preferred dates for the free time as stated by its employees and only may deny or cancel vacation if the company would take major damage. And major as in: we have to let people go or even close major.

If the employer cancels your vacation, he must compensate you in full for all financial losses due to bookings for example.

In addition, paid time off and working hours are if course also benefits that could be used to attract employees

30 days vacation/ year , to 38 hour week, working from wherever I want, even in some pool in some hotel, and of course, paid sick leave. That is my current luxury.

And don't forget: about 10 work free holidays per year ;)