5 Countries That Give The Least Time Off

Its been shown that taking time off increases employee’s overall productivity. But, many countries don’t require much vacation time for workers. Let’s take a look at what countries mandate the least amount of time off.

Canada

This one may surprise you. Although Canada is essentially one of the most developed countries in the world, it requires just ten days of vacation time for its workers.

Mercer, a recognized global survey company, discovered that Canda lay in the bottom of the world in terms of vacation time. The head of Mercer’s health care division point out that strong vacation time regulations can actually be beneficial for business as it increases employee output.

Many companies try to keep vacation time to a minimum thinking that it will reduce lost income due to employee absence. However, just the opposite is true. Some argue that Canada’s minimal vacation days are undermining the country’s business success. 

China

Currently, China is one of the leading business countries in the world. Particularly strong in low labor cost production, Chinese goods are exported all over the world. In a survey conducted by CNN, it was found that Chinese workers received about ten paid vacation days a year in addition to eleven public holidays. This was based on a typical worker over a ten year period. Chen Xia on www.china.org.cn points out that the real number of days off is usually much lower for most workers.

One of the reasons Chinese workers take very few vacation days is due to the cultural attitude toward taking time off. Few people request time away from work, and in order to stay competitive, it is thought that it is necessary to maximize time in the office. It is not uncommon for individuals who ask for time off to be fired unexpectedly, so those worried about their employment status often refrain.

India

According to the Times of India, one of the reasons India is vacation deprived is connected to the cultural attitude surrounding time off. It is common for vacation to be perceived as a luxury, as something one ought to feel guilty about enjoying. This combined with pressure from work projects, and an inability to skip work related email checking when away, has led India to be one of the least vacation prone nations in the world.

Their mandated vacation time is about twelve days per year; however, most Indians do not take all of those days. Many reported that they would prefer to be paid for those days, rather than actually take the time off.

Indonesia

Similar to India, Indonesian employees are entitled to a total of twelve working days of paid vacation each year. In addition to these twelve days, employees are not required to work on public holidays. If an employee does work on a holiday, the employer has to pay overtime. Each year there are about eleven public holidays.

The United States

The U.S. government does not mandate that employees receive specific time off. However, the average time off for workers in the US is about two weeks or fourteen days. The specifics of this time off vary widely from one employer to the next and is often an item for bargaining when employees are working out their initial contracts.

Since there is no government regulation on vacation time, some professionals struggle to take any time off at all. For example, in the dentistry business, individuals who own their own firm, or work at a small firm, may truly struggle to get any time off during the year. In order to accomodate such circumstances, companies such as http://forestirons.com/ have been developed. These companies help with the infrastructure needed for employees to take time off without sacrificing the quality of the institutions they are working at.

About the author: 

Louise Williams has worked in many countries over the years and wants to share the countries that provide employers the least amount of time off during the year.