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Vacation Time In Canada Is Less Than Any Developed Country, Survey Finds

The Huffington Post Canada  |  By Posted: 05/10/2012 1:54 pm Updated: 05/10/2012 3:23 pm

The news Wednesday that Portugal is repealing four of its national holidays to spur greater economic growth has gotten people thinking about what the balance should be between free time and the need to keep the economy going.

And apparently Canada leans towards keeping the economy going -- more so than any other developed country.

PHOTOS: THE 10 COUNTRIES WITH THE MOST HOLIDAYS

PHOTOS: THE 10 COUNTRIES WITH THE LEAST HOLIDAYS

According to a study from Mercer Consulting, released late last year, Canada has fewer government-mandated holidays than any developed country, including even the United States.

Canada has 19 mandated days off, including calendar holidays and minimum vacation requirements, and excluding some provincial holidays.

By comparison, the United States has about 25 days, the survey found. That compares to 36 days in the United Kingdom, 30 in Australia, and 29 in Germany.

countries with most holidays

(The U.S. number was calculated differently. Because the U.S. is the only developed country not to mandate any paid vacation time, Mercer calculated the number using the typical minimum given by companies.)

While Canada may be worst off among developed nations, employees still get considerably more time off than in the developing countries of Asia, the survey found. China offers a minimum 10 days off annually, while Thailand and the Phillippines have the least, with six and five days off, respectively.

At the other end of the spectrum were European countries, offering the most generous holidays. Austria tops the list, with 38 days, followed by Greece at 37 ... perhaps an indicator that too much holiday time may not be a good idea?

THE 10 COUNTRIES WITH THE MOST HOLIDAYS

Loading Slideshow...

  • France - 36

    Source: <a href="http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/holiday-entitlements-around-the-world" target="_hplink">Mercer Consulting</a>

  • Spain - 36

    Source: <a href="http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/holiday-entitlements-around-the-world" target="_hplink">Mercer Consulting</a>

  • Sweden - 36

    Source: <a href="http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/holiday-entitlements-around-the-world" target="_hplink">Mercer Consulting</a>

  • United Kingdom - 36

    Source: <a href="http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/holiday-entitlements-around-the-world" target="_hplink">Mercer Consulting</a>

  • Venezuela - 36

    Source: <a href="http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/holiday-entitlements-around-the-world" target="_hplink">Mercer Consulting</a>

  • Bolivia - 37

    Source: <a href="http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/holiday-entitlements-around-the-world" target="_hplink">Mercer Consulting</a>

  • Greece - 37

    Source: <a href="http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/holiday-entitlements-around-the-world" target="_hplink">Mercer Consulting</a>

  • Poland - 37

    Source: <a href="http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/holiday-entitlements-around-the-world" target="_hplink">Mercer Consulting</a>

  • Malta - 38

    Source: <a href="http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/holiday-entitlements-around-the-world" target="_hplink">Mercer Consulting</a>

  • Austria - 38

    Source: <a href="http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/holiday-entitlements-around-the-world" target="_hplink">Mercer Consulting</a>




THE 10 COUNTRIES WITH THE LEAST HOLIDAYS

Loading Slideshow...

  • Singapore - 15

    Source: <a href="http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/holiday-entitlements-around-the-world" target="_hplink">Mercer Consulting</a>

  • Taiwan - 15

    Source: <a href="http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/holiday-entitlements-around-the-world" target="_hplink">Mercer Consulting</a>

  • Hong Kong - 14

    Source: <a href="http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/holiday-entitlements-around-the-world" target="_hplink">Mercer Consulting</a>

  • Pakistan - 14

    Source: <a href="http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/holiday-entitlements-around-the-world" target="_hplink">Mercer Consulting</a>

  • Vietnam - 14

    Source: <a href="http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/holiday-entitlements-around-the-world" target="_hplink">Mercer Consulting</a>

  • India - 12

    Source: <a href="http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/holiday-entitlements-around-the-world" target="_hplink">Mercer Consulting</a>

  • Indonesia - 12

    Source: <a href="http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/holiday-entitlements-around-the-world" target="_hplink">Mercer Consulting</a>

  • China - 10

    Source: <a href="http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/holiday-entitlements-around-the-world" target="_hplink">Mercer Consulting</a>

  • Thailand - 6

    Source: <a href="http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/holiday-entitlements-around-the-world" target="_hplink">Mercer Consulting</a>

  • Philippines - 5

    Source: <a href="http://www.mercer.com/press-releases/holiday-entitlements-around-the-world" target="_hplink">Mercer Consulting</a>

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Ronna Black
0 Fans
10:41 AM on 04/05/2013
Canada has 23 days holiday according to my research.

http://www.hr-pros.ca/what-is-the-minimum-vacations-time-off/ - 2 weeks, 10 business days
http://www.statutoryholidays.com/2013.php - 13 Stat days, not including provincial days.
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Pedro Antunes
0 Fans
09:51 PM on 01/09/2013
It's possible and common for a Canadian to make a deal with the boss to take an extra vacations for 15 days, for example, and don't receive payment in these 15 days?
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Erick Engelke
0 Fans
02:35 PM on 12/27/2012
The numbers on Canada are wrong. Starting with your first year of employment, you are required to have 14 days off, plus there are 11 or more holidays mandated in each province, some federal ,some provincial. IAnd after years of employment, some provinces require additional days be added. So the minumum number of days is at least 23 by law, not the wimpy assumption made regarding US-often-get comment.
see http://www.canadaone.com/ezine/july07/inoutvacation.html
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Chelsea Kourline
0 Fans
12:49 PM on 03/27/2013
2 weeks is counted as 10 days off, not 14 days. There are only 9 stat days that are honored by all the provinces. You may get extra depending on your province and employer, but 19 is the correct minimum when looking at the country as a whole.
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jillii76
0 Fans
02:10 PM on 10/25/2012
What about Israel?! Don't they get all of the Jewish holidays off?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Mike Keohane
130 Fans
10:13 AM on 05/12/2012
I find I spend more money on holiday days than I do on work days. If I had more holidays I'd probably go broke.
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Angus R
7 Fans
06:27 AM on 05/12/2012
I agree with Ms Simpson. The amount of leave time is not a measure of the economic state of a nation.
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Blodo
Time to build a better world
697 Fans
03:15 PM on 05/11/2012
Er...so according to this survey, Singapore isn't a developed country? Well, live and learn.
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Donnerskinde
I used to be a people person,till people ruined it
67 Fans
01:35 PM on 05/11/2012
Umm, no correlation between mandated holidays and economic strength, Austrias economy is doing just fine. And who gets 19 days off for mandated holidays. I certainly don't have 19 stat holidays in the course of my year.
The fact of the matter is, our neighbours puritan work ethic has been endorsed far to generously in Canada, and sadly more and more we find ourselves living to work, as opposed to working to live, it's tragic that still we find ourselves working in jobs that we frankly don't enjoy simply to make the bills and provide the basics, too many people find themselves working multiple low wage jobs, and there seems less and less to be any concern with paying a living wage.
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Spinning In Circles
32 Fans
10:56 AM on 05/11/2012
Meh, I don't feel like I'm lacking. I get sick days, vacation days, government holidays, religious holidays, etc., and in return, I live in one of the most stable economies.

Give a little to get a little.
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Blodo
Time to build a better world
697 Fans
03:16 PM on 05/11/2012
Ditto. My company treats its employees just fine.
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phoenix7777
1 Fans
10:00 AM on 05/11/2012
One thing never considered is people who work weekends. They generally don't ever get 3 day weekends for national holidays, and sometimes even have to break up taking full weeks of vacatoin due to "business needs". If you work Monday-Friday 8-4 and have all stat holidays off, maybe the standard holidays suffice. For many others though, various Monday and Fridays off aren't enough, they don't give the extra rest that is often needed. In my workplace, this is further amplified by the fact that many employees need to work the stat hoidays as well, meaning that they get even less actual days off.
Germany is doing something right, let's meet in the middle!
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Rusty Bucket
Intensely interested in the human condition!
12 Fans
04:12 AM on 05/11/2012
Those sneaky buggers! And all the while they were telling me how well I was being treated. I’ve been duped!
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Ken Lawson-Williams
1 Fans
11:15 PM on 05/10/2012
In many US states , the so-called "at will" states (you can allegedly work ai will and don't have to join a unio - more like your employment is at the will of the employer who can fire you without cause at any time with no compensation) vacation time and sick leave are not mandatory - so drop 10 more days off the total for those states...
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Ken Lawson-Williams
1 Fans
11:12 PM on 05/10/2012
US data is SERIOUSLY flawed. There are SOME mandated federal holidays, and the majority of employers only provide those. And it is FAR less than 25... Only the big employers (government and large unionised) generally have som of the other ones. More like 9 a year actually mandated.
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Opus Fideo
Atheist. Social Democrat. Canadian.
4131 Fans
09:07 PM on 05/10/2012
hey, unlike the US at least we get mat. leave.
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SayBlade
This micro bio intentionally left blank.
696 Fans
10:30 PM on 05/10/2012
They get some kind of mat leave. Ours is just longer and there are *supposed* to be more guarantees that the job will still be there upon return.
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piceaglauca
The picture says it all....
294 Fans
 
08:19 PM on 05/10/2012
With the wages most people make, the taxes we pay personally, and otherwise, the general cost of getting out of the country who can really afford it?
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SayBlade
This micro bio intentionally left blank.
696 Fans
10:31 PM on 05/10/2012
Add to that distance, i.e. time, and cost of travel.
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