Pretty much what JFerio said, though we typically refer to it as 'Vacation Days'. Usually, this is the sole luxury of the salaried worker, though a few high-level hourly waged jobs will have them, too. And of course, they come in two varieties: paid and unpaid. Given how you've been hearing about how the middle class is shrinking like a bacteria colony sharing a petri dish with some bread mold, you can imagine that paid vacation days are rare.
Additionally, during certain holidays, most employers have a policy of paying time-and-a-half to anyone working on that holiday. This is what some of us refer to as "Holiday Time" because it's like making overtime pay without actually hitting overtime. From the sound of things, she seems to work in some office of some kind and, therefore, in the sort of place that pays this sort of wage. (Driving around in a new Jeep does not strike me as 'blue collar worker'.) During the Big Two, Christmas and Thanksgiving, the days before and after can count, too.
So, even if she was only there on the day before Thanksgiving, her boss probably made a killing on the labor-cost-vs-productivity charts.
Something to keep in mind: many of the labor laws here in the USA vary from one State/Commonwealth to the next. If you're really curious to see if you lady's employer is in violation, you might want to check out that State's laws regarding the matter. If so, then you can find her employer's legal department and tip them off... and make sure you tip off the appropriate law enforcement agency, too. That'll light a fire under their asses.
Remember, nothing says satisfaction like getting an evil boss shit-canned, especially when they not only have it coming, but when it has caused you personal grief. Catharsis is a wonderful thing, you know.
Oh, and after reading that last little bit she sent you...
Ugh, man, she is naive. Don't worry about her too much. This is a lesson she needs to learn the hard way. Had to teach it to my GF in Japan when she sent me the Dear John letter - she honestly thought we could just keep talking after that. Yeah right. When you kick a guy in the balls like that, you gotta accept the consequences.
I am feeling more and more bad for you each time I come to this thread. Girls like this, they can seem mature up until you spend some time with them and see their personal life up close and... well, personal. And then you come to realize they don't have the slightest clue as to what the hell they were doing.
Additionally, during certain holidays, most employers have a policy of paying time-and-a-half to anyone working on that holiday. This is what some of us refer to as "Holiday Time" because it's like making overtime pay without actually hitting overtime. From the sound of things, she seems to work in some office of some kind and, therefore, in the sort of place that pays this sort of wage. (Driving around in a new Jeep does not strike me as 'blue collar worker'.) During the Big Two, Christmas and Thanksgiving, the days before and after can count, too.
So, even if she was only there on the day before Thanksgiving, her boss probably made a killing on the labor-cost-vs-productivity charts.
Something to keep in mind: many of the labor laws here in the USA vary from one State/Commonwealth to the next. If you're really curious to see if you lady's employer is in violation, you might want to check out that State's laws regarding the matter. If so, then you can find her employer's legal department and tip them off... and make sure you tip off the appropriate law enforcement agency, too. That'll light a fire under their asses.
Remember, nothing says satisfaction like getting an evil boss shit-canned, especially when they not only have it coming, but when it has caused you personal grief. Catharsis is a wonderful thing, you know.
Oh, and after reading that last little bit she sent you...
Ugh, man, she is naive. Don't worry about her too much. This is a lesson she needs to learn the hard way. Had to teach it to my GF in Japan when she sent me the Dear John letter - she honestly thought we could just keep talking after that. Yeah right. When you kick a guy in the balls like that, you gotta accept the consequences.
I am feeling more and more bad for you each time I come to this thread. Girls like this, they can seem mature up until you spend some time with them and see their personal life up close and... well, personal. And then you come to realize they don't have the slightest clue as to what the hell they were doing.