>Schedule time off

You lost me there. When I worked shit retail jobs I was actually laughed at when I tried to schedule 3 days off a few months in advance.

Hell my first job was at a place where they would not tell you your schedule over the phone or over the internet and they would change your schedule the night before they wanted you there. Unless you were willing to drive to the store every day, even on your day off, you would never know about new shifts you had assigned and would subsequently be a no call no show.

The managers used this so they always had a safe reason to fire someone. When you did something they didn't like but was protected by store policy or legality, they would just fire you next time you missed one of these sudden shift changes.

Outside the US, in first world nations at least, it's expected that you get consecutive days off and you don't need to beg your boss for permission to leave town each week. I've never had to schedule a leave from town and don't know anybody who did, because it's plainly obvious that our weekends are our own.

Another problem is companies that intentionally book non-consecutive days off for their workers are also going to do everything they can to discourage workers from taking time off when they want to.

In those kinds of jobs you often can't. Taking an inconvenient day off may cost you your job.

These employees typically get ONE week of paid time off after a YEAR'S worth of service.

Their transportation is usually unreliable because they can't afford to purchase a new car or maintain the vehicle.