British workers average two less annual days leave per year than their European neighbours according to a recent survey, the Daily Mail has reported.
The survey, carried out by on-line travel organisation, Expedia, took data from 24 countries and deducted that the average European worker benefits from 28 days annual leave. This compares with UK workers who, although entitled to an average of 26 days, typically only take 25 days. This could be why three quarters of UK workers polled said that they felt ‘very or somewhat’ deprived of time off.
However, when compared to the annual leave that workers from certain nations outside of Europe are entitled to, UK workers appear to be positively spoilt. A prime example is that of American workers, who averaged just 15 days of leave in the past year, and typically only took 14. But despite this seemingly meagre amount of time off, only 54 percent of Americans polled said that they felt ‘very or somewhat’ deprived.
Asian workers appear to come out worst from the poll results, with Thai workers only receiving 11 days holiday entitlement, and South Korean workers only taking seven of the 15 days that are available to them.
Andy Washington, managing director of Expedia.co.uk, was quoted in the Daily Mail, saying, ‘The vacation deprivation study looks at holiday habits across several different continents. While habits differ, the emotional impact of holiday does not.
‘Somewhere between 80 and 90 percent of people worldwide say that holidays make them feel happier, better rested, closer to their family, less stressed, and more relaxed.’
