Daily BrewMany Canadians short-change themselves on vacation time, surveys find
Canadians take more vacation days than their American counterparts but still lag far behind their fellow workers in Europe, according to Expedia.com’s latest vacation deprivation survey.
The survey, released this week by the online travel site, showed workaholic South Koreans top the charts when it comes to eschewing time off. They get a median 15 days of vacation time but take only six. The Japanese take 12 out of 20 days and Malaysians 10 out of 14.
There’s an odd discrepancy in the Canadian numbers. The latest global survey, done in October, shows Canadians take all of the median 15 days they’re allotted. But a separate Canadian survey done in September and released by Expedia.ca in early October found Canadian workers get an average 16.9 days paid vacation, of which they take 15.5 days.
The difference is due to the fact the Canadian survey reported average as opposed to median vacation days, Expedia.ca brand marketing director Jennifer Callegaro told Yahoo Canada via email.
That’s still better than Americans, who take only 11 out of an median 15 allowable vacation days. Mexicans give back three of their 15 available vacation days.
Compare that with Europe, where workers get a full month off and most take every single day of that.
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The Canadian results show we’re unwilling to disconnect from work, even though we want to and know that it’s healthy to do so.
“Over the years, we’ve noticed a number of recurring reasons why Canadians aren’t taking full advantage of their vacation time,” said Callegaro.
“Most commonly, it’s because things such as looking after family and focusing on careers take priority. But for some, saving for other important expenses or purchases such as buying a home, paying tuition, or paying down debt, means there is less to put aside for travel.”
Majority of Canadians surveyed say they’re vacation-deprived
Yet, the September survey found 52 per cent of Canadians considered themselves vacation-deprived, up four percentage points from Expedia’s 2014 survey. Two thirds said they did not receive enough vacation days and 34 per cent said they could not take all the allowable days they had, often because work schedules made it hard to find the time.
The benefits of taking time off seem undeniable. Expedia’s global survey found most workers were happier and more focused on the job after a holiday.
But, if anything, the trend seems to have worsened in Canada since Expedia.ca began its survey in 2003, said Callegaro. That year, 33 per cent of Canadians who responded said they were not taking all their vacation days.
“According to this year’s survey, 37 per cent of Canadians are not taking all of their vacation days,” she said. “This trend shows that Canadians should continue to educate themselves about the benefits of taking advantage of their vacation time.”
Expedia’s global survey spoke with 9,273 employed adults in 26 countries between Oct. 6-22, while the separate Canadian survey interviewed 1,001 employed adults from Sept. 11 to Sept. 22. The two surveys had sampling errors of plus or minus one per cent and 3.1 per cent respectively.
