Canadians come up short on vacation time: report
The holiday season is coming, but you can probably count on one hand the people you know who’ll be taking more than a few days off this Christmas.
The number would be much higher if you had friends from, say, Japan though. There workers enjoy 44 days paid vacation each year, the most generous entitlement out of all the countries surveyed by human resource consulting firm Mercer.
At 31 days a year, Canada is bringing up the rear, ahead of only Australia at 30 days, and the United States at 28, the Globe and Mail reports.
Mercer’s calculations assume an employee working five days a week, with 10 years of service and don’t factor in personal days or sick leave.
But the picture gets even worse if you simply look at statutory holidays. Employees in Canada are among those with the lowest entitlement with only 10 days, Mercer notes. While there’s no statutory minimum in the US, employees typically receive 15 days a year.
Members of the European Union, by contrast, must provide workers with a minimum of 20 paid vacation days a year plus public holidays.
Of course, besides getting less time off than workers in many other countries, too many of us don’t use all the time we do get, opting instead for either staying at the office or adopting the bent-headed wireless slouch of the continuously connected.
According to a recent Expedia survey, nearly 25 per cent of Canadians aren’t taking the full number of vacation days they've been allotted. This translates into 34 million missed days in Canada overall and roughly $6 billion in wages handed back to employers.
A few of the main reasons why we’re missing out include: trading days in for money (12%); not making plans far enough in advance (11%); and/or simply being too busy at work (11%).
How do you fare in the not-taking-that-vacation sweeps?
By Gordon Powers. MSN Money
Posted by: Long | Dec 4, 2021 11:44:10 AM
After reading the facts, I can only conclude that the government of Canada considers its citizen a plain slave, a subject, a number and never as a human being. No one from the government will push or working on to increase the vacation days to be on par with other countries around the world.
Posted by: ALAN | Dec 4, 2021 12:28:35 PM
The article states that when a employee works instead of taking available holidays, the wages are handed back to the employer. Hardly, holiday pay is calculated on a pecentage of total income and has to paid to the employee at some point as time off with pay (holidays) or extra pay on a paycheck. An employee earns holiday pay on regular wages, stat holidays, bonuses, and even on holiday pay, all earned income. Many employees work instead of taking holidays for the extra money. For those that don't know, holiday pay and stat days are paid by the employer not the government and if more stat days or holidays are manated by the government, the cost will be passed on to the end user of the products and services. Using Japan as an example is quite appropriate since it has one of the worlds weakest economys and highest cost of living.
Posted by: row | Dec 4, 2021 3:27:27 PM
meaningless statistics backed up with limited or no facts. So, the japenese get all these DAYS off, well, they also get the honour of working some of the longest work hours on the planet. On average japenese in a year spend almost 13 workdays more at work than Canadians as they have longer work hours. does canada have a karoshi hotline.
Posted by: SMS | Dec 4, 2021 4:13:56 PM
I don't know where the 31 day per year number for Canada comes from. I receive 3 weeks vacation per year plus 10 statutory holidays = 25 days. Many companies only give 2 weeks vacation. The average people stay at one company in my industry is 3 years, and mostly changing jobs is not voluntary but the result of a layoff.
The idea that the majority of Canadian workers have 10 years of service at a single company and get 4 weeks vacaction is ridiculous.
Posted by: Disgruntled | Dec 4, 2021 5:37:36 PM
Alan ... they're not talking about stat days but regular vacation days not taken by salaried workers. Not sure about $6 billion but I know that I've left money on the table by not taking my full allotment in the past.
Posted by: ML | Dec 6, 2021 3:22:11 PM
Have you ever considered this.........? We work almost the least out of the rest of the World, only just ahead of Australia.
What are two of the strongest economies out there right now? Hmmm, yes you guessed it. Its ideal to think that more holidays equates into better times for you personally. Right now, in these economic times, the more we are at work, generating revenue, keeping our employess or employers working the better.
I'd like 100 days off per year, but lets all get serious. People need to get back to some good values, put in a hard week, and stop complaining........ Sheesh!
Posted by: bill | Dec 6, 2021 4:27:56 PM
Ive been with my employer 16 years, i get 4 .5 weeks vacation, i have to wait till my 20th year to get 5 weeks total,and the cap in vacation time is 5 weeks. I should become a MP for our goverment, hell they get the summer off, the winter off and was thinking a spring break also, hell when are these people in the office to earn the money we're paying them, then to top it off they only need 8 years of service to get a full gold plated pension plan, hmmmm i don't get my poverty pension plan till i reach 65.
Posted by: g | Dec 6, 2021 5:41:27 PM
i have been with the same company for 30 years and STILL only get 2 weeks vacation and sometimes cannot be taken in entirety. then, we just get the regular mandated holidays. so, how's that for size? and to top it off, no pension plan either!
Posted by: p | Dec 6, 2021 7:49:29 PM
hey g, you need a new job
Posted by: g | Dec 6, 2021 8:02:17 PM
Dear p,
Spending 30 years with the same company, means I am no spring chicken and today's economy doesn't help either. If you know of a company, that can promise full time work with better opportunities than I have now and looking for a dedicated, hard working person, let me know. There are either no jobs to be had, or they are given to the immigrants so that their life can be better. Sucks to be true Canadians.
Thanks
Posted by: KRC | Dec 6, 2021 10:04:32 PM
People have been brainwashed for years regarding work. If you havn't noticed approximatly every 10 years there is a bust and boom cycle. This is due to over production creates recession things slow down prices fall people lose their houses and the rich get richer. Then after a period of time supplies deplete and demand creates
a boom and the rich get richer. Are you all starting to see a patern here. If production was geared to demand we could all work less enjoy life more, but then the rich wouldn't get richer. Don't feel bad, people all over the world have had the wool pulled over their eyes for centuries. WE are suckers face it mae to believe in breaking our backs depriving our selves of what really matters and that family and life. I believe we were put on this earth to learn,love and laugh. Some work is required of course but near to what we have been brainwashed to think.
Funny thing about the rich they have the smarts and the resources to make you believe anything. THE TRUTH DOES HURT!!!
Posted by: E Poulsen | Dec 6, 2021 10:24:10 PM
Not sure where you're getting your information but we just relocated to the States and the US only has 6 statutory holidays ... I am seriously missing the other 4! Plus, for those who are used to taking 2 weeks vacation off at the a time ... forget it that is unheard of here. I had way more time off living in Canada than here ... and don't even mention the number of expected of hours worked per day. Canada, you've got it pretty good when it comes to paid time off.