[Superman]

You mentioned that your previous employment was in the private sector, but you didn't mention whether this current offer is also in the private sector. As much as guys like to compare (unfavorably) public sector organizations to private sector ones, there are some MASSIVE managerial and administrative differences. In most public sector organizations I have seen, vacation policy is chiseled in stone. Managers are 100% powerless to tweak organizational policy to accommodate an individual worker. If a governmental agency did this, and did it because it made good sense and was reasonable, AM talk show radio hosts would crucify them nonetheless by leaving out certain bits of information.

On the other hand, with every organization there are decisions and adjustments of SOME kind to make. The important thing, as many have mentioned here, is to begin the dialogue now. Even if they cannot technically increase your vacation benefit, they might be able to modify your pay (2% or whatever), and agree to a strategy that involves you taking a week o two off each year without pay in addition to your two weeks of paid vacation.

BTW, our stories have some similarities. The job I took recently also grants only two weeks' paid vacation. Like you, I very frequently, unconsciously, work twelve hours or so in a day. There must be a quid-pro-quo if you will. We work our asses off and we're good at what we do. We are entitled to some deference and respect. Since you are in negotiations right now, the connection between those things should be DISCUSSED now, and ideally they should be quantified now. At a minimum, they must be discussed. And regardless of whether the resolution is written and quantified, in the future if there is a gap between what you GIVE and what you are GETTING, then a change will become necessary. At that time, if you are able to point back to these current discussions, the lesson will be "I told you so."