Enjoy the holidays while you can, because if you’re a Canadian chances are that you won’t be having a lot of time off work in the coming year. A recent survey by U.K. based consultant, Mercer, has placed Canada at the bottom of a scale of 62 countries from around the globe when it comes to employee holiday entitlements. The survey measured the number of annual holiday days that full-time workers have access to after 10 years in the labour force. Unfortunately for us Canadians, we only get a measly 10 days of statutory holidays and an average of 9 public holidays a year. Even the most industrious nations like China and the U.S. don’t measure up to our dedicated work ethos, whilst twenty-eight European nations have at least twice as many statutory holidays as Canada. The U.K. seems to be the real winner when it comes to vacation time, as they receive the most generous statutory holiday entitlements in Western Europe with a whopping 28 days a year. Ironically, countries like Greece, Spain, and Portugal, who are currently in the pits of economic depression, still continue to enjoy a healthy work-life balance and they all feature in the top ten. Although, you may feel slightly deflated reading this, think of all the fun you have at work on a weekly basis and it’s sure to put a smile on your face (or possibly not).
Employee Holiday Entitlement
It's a sad fact, but out of 62 countries from around the globe, Canada ranks bottom.