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Which country loves to work? See who doesn't take vacation time
A friend of mine asked me a few days ago when I last went on vacation – a real one. I struggled to remember the last time I went on a trip and didn't write or, before that, keep up with what was going on at the office. After stopping and focusing, I remembered a four-day trip I took to Orlando back in late 2005. Even there, I'm not sure that I didn't work, I just don't remember spending time behind the laptop. Before that, my last vacation was probably four days in San Diego in 2002 (again, I don't remember working but probably did) or the two weeks I took off when being reassigned from South Korea to Georgia in 1998.Apparently, I'm not alone. Lots of people don't take vacations, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos study. Ask any employee in the world if he uses his vacation time, and a there's a 33 percent chance the answer will be a resounding "no."
In a survey of 12,500 people from 24 countries, the French, unsurprisingly, are most likely to take advantage of the vacation days they are given, with 89 percent using all they are given. Argentina comes in next at 80 percent, followed by Hungary (78 percent) and Britain (77 percent). Think about it: in the top four, up to 25 percent of a country's employees don't blow through their vacation days.
Now, consider how grim the situation is at the other end of the spectrum.
The workaholics in Japan are least likely to use all the vacation time they are given, with only 33 percent using it up. South Africa is next up from the bottom at 47 percent, followed by South Korea (53 percent). The United States is next, with a mere 57 percent of employees using up all their vacation time. That's akin to leaving money on the table, when you think about it, since vacation time really is a part of your compensation.
Interestingly, income level makes little difference in whether one uses all available vacation time. It isn't just hard-core investment bankers, work-addicted consultants and client-committed attorneys. According to Ipsos, two-thirds of high- and low-income workers took all available vacation time. Age makes some difference, with workers over 50 more likely to take all their vacation days. Unsurprisingly, business owners and senior executives are least likely to consume all their time.
So, why are the world's workers so insanely dedicated to their jobs? Reuters says:
"There are lots of reasons why people don't use up vacation days but most often it's because they feel obligated to their work and put it over other more important things, including their own health and welfare," said John Wright, senior vice president of global market and opinion research firm Ipsos.
Below, you can see the full results of the survey:
Interestingly, income level makes little difference in whether one uses all available vacation time. It isn't just hard-core investment bankers, work-addicted consultants and client-committed attorneys. According to Ipsos, two-thirds of high- and low-income workers took all available vacation time. Age makes some difference, with workers over 50 more likely to take all their vacation days. Unsurprisingly, business owners and senior executives are least likely to consume all their time.
So, why are the world's workers so insanely dedicated to their jobs? Reuters says:
"There are lots of reasons why people don't use up vacation days but most often it's because they feel obligated to their work and put it over other more important things, including their own health and welfare," said John Wright, senior vice president of global market and opinion research firm Ipsos.
Below, you can see the full results of the survey:
- France: 89 percent
- Argentina: 80 percent
- Hungary: 78 percent
- Britain: 77 percent
- Spain: 77 percent
- Saudi Arabia: 76 percent
- Germany: 75 percent
- Belgium: 74 percent
- Turkey: 74 percent
- Indonesia: 70 percent
- Mexico: 67 percent
- Russia: 67 percent
- Italy: 66 percent
- Poland: 66 percent
- China: 65 percent
- Sweden: 63 percent
- Brazil: 59 percent
- India: 59 percent
- Canada: 58 percent
- United States: 57 percent
- South Korea: 53 percent
- Australia: 47 percent
- South Africa: 47 percent
- Japan: 33 percent
Filed under: Business, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America, South Africa, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, United States, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, News, Middle East
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chrissy Aug 8th 2010 4:12PM
You can't compare these countries without knowing the amount of vacation time the employees are given. It's not apples to apples.
Dana Aug 9th 2010 6:40AM
I'm glad to see the US isn't the top one! We took a cross country road trip with friends Http://www.roadtripsinamerica.com and loved it!
Denise Michaels Aug 8th 2010 8:31PM
Interesting you wrote about this. I just posted an article on my blog yesterday about some of the cultural shifts taking place in the US that are resulting in most Americans taking less and less vacation time.
Think about it. When I was a kid (okay - knock off the "old" jokes) it wasn't unusual for a family to take a two week vacation. Btw, that's far, far less than the "holidays" that Europeans take of 4-6 weeks. Then we scaled back to long weekends. More recently it's the stay-cation. Oh, and don't forget to bring your laptop and cell phone while you "relax."
The sea change taking place is that more people are adapting travel as a lifestyle rather than an infrequent break from their lifestyle. Less focus will be on homes, cars and suburbs and more on creativity and innovation. Imagine that.
Denise Michaels
"Your Excellent Adventure"
Garry Aug 9th 2010 7:35AM
The International Labor Organization and other institutions often conduct surveys about national holiday time, vacation time, and productivity.
The survey above is fairly consistent with most of those, which typically show the USA with the least holiday/vacation and yet in the top rankings for productivity (although typically behind a few Scandinavian countries).
Even though Japan is fairly notorious for it's "salaryman" work ethos, it's usually somewhat behind the USA.
The portrayal of the USA as a nation of lazy unproductive couch potatoes is simply NEVER borne about by the actual measured statistics.
gabriel stein Aug 9th 2010 7:13AM
I am from the US, but live in Sweden, where you get 25 vacation days if you're fully employed. It's really unbelievable and people are well balanced here.
The interesting thing is that Swedes treat vacation differently than people in the US. For example, I've talked to a number of people lately who are using their vacation days to paint their house or do work on their summer hut.
People do cherish their vacation here, but it's just that you get so much of it, you can't really fill it up with constant traveling.
I've had three weeks already and will be going to the states at the end of August. My family in the states is jealous of me and don't really understand how it works.
I do think that Americans will begin to get more vacation time....it will just take fifty years or so.
Until then, here's to 10 days (if you're lucky).
Accommodation Knysna Aug 31st 2010 4:30AM
South Africa has so many public holidays that one cannot even go away on all of them. Due to financial strains it is also more difficult for people to go away. They will rather go away for a weekend somewhere close to home.
There is however very nice places like http://www.alexanderhouse.co.za/