SUMMER, SUN, VACATION, RELAXATION – all words that instantly bring a smile to your face! So, why then do so few Americans take their vacation days? According to an ABC News report that I stumbled upon, only 57% of Americans use their full vacation allowance – a measly average of 13 days. The U.S. has the lowest number of days vacation, and is the only country in which an employer doesn’t have to legally offer paid time off at all.
Consider the stats below:
Average paid time-off days for a variety of countries:
Italy: 42 days
France: 37 days
Germany: 35 days
Brazil: 34 days
United Kingdom: 28 days
Canada: 26 days
South Korea: 25 days
Japan: 25 days
United States: 13 days
Percentage of vacation actually used:
France: 89 percent
UK: 77 percent
Germany: 75 percent
Italy 66 percent
Brazil: 59 percent
Canada: 58 percent
United States: 57 percent
South Korea: 53 percent
Japan: 33 percent
Al Capone once said, “You get further with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone,” and as we come out of the recession, I often wonder whether the workplace will emerge with a more Capone-esqe, dog-eat-dog approach to doing business (although without the gun!) or whether it will be a more collaborative world where nice is necessary.
As an Englishwoman in New York, I know something about experiencing new cultures (I still refuse to call it a fanny pack), and thanks to the generous 6-week vacation I was granted in the UK, I managed to escape the rainy English shores on a frequent basis to visit Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and North and South America. The differences are vast and my travels have taught me the importance of understanding local cultures when dealing with overseas clients and media.
