but trailing behind European average
Findings Indicate UK Staff At Bottom of Vacation Time League Tables With Only 30% Taking 26 Days Or More of Annual Leave, While European Average Stands at 61%
If we compare ourselves to the U.S., we should count ourselves lucky when it comes to annual leave according to Monster''s recent poll of more than 86,000 workers worldwide. However, it''s a different story here in Europe. This survey reveals the average UK worker takes between 21 and 25 days of holiday a year. Compared to North America, where only 21% of Canadians and 13% of Americans receive more than 21 days of holiday per year, the UK holiday package appears generous. With 70% of Americans and 60% of Canadians getting less than 15 days off per year, the average is significantly lower than the UK and Europe. However, the UK lags behind the rest of Europe, where 82% of staff take more than 21 days of annual leave per year.
The Monster Meter, a product of Monster, the leading global online careers site and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ: MNST), is an ongoing series of online polls that gauge users'' opinions on a variety of topics relating to careers, the economy, and the workplace.
For this poll, The Monster Meter asked, How many days of vacation time do you get per year? 1,668 votes were cast on Monster.co.uk between 7th and 21st July, revealing:
30% (503 votes) said: 26 days or more.
45% (755 votes) said: Between 21 and 25 days.
16% (263 votes) said: Between 16 and 20 days.
5% (86 votes) said: 10 days or fewer.
4% (61 votes) said: Between 11 and 15 days.
Last week, it was reported that the UK government might propose longer holidays for British workers in return for being allowed to keep its exemption from the EU limit on a maximum 48-hour working week. An increase in holiday allowance could bring the UK in line with the longer holidays enjoyed on the continent.
Joe Slavin, managing director, Monster.co.uk comments, The UK is renowned across Europe for its long-hours culture and a fast-paced and highly stressful work environment, similar to the U.S. However, we''re also hearing more and more about the importance of regular holidays to avoid burnout. Staff need sufficient holiday leave to be able to take breaks several times a year and return to the office feeling revived and refreshed. Of course we need to stay competitive but generous holiday time can have a positive impact on absenteeism, and on employee health and productivity.
France, Germany, and Sweden have the highest number of respondents (more than 90%) claiming to take 26 days or more vacation per year. Finland and the Netherlands follow with 59% and 47% respectively having 26 or more days of annual leave. In the UK, 30% of voters receive this amount, trailed by Italy with 23% and Ireland with a tiny 16%. Only 9% of UK respondents claim to get up to 15 days only, with most Brits (45%) taking between 21 and 25 days. However, there are some countries in Europe, such as Spain and Italy, where relatively low amounts of holiday seem the norm. Both Mediterranean countries stand out with 28% of voters getting up to 15 days only, although both of these countries do have more public holidays than most of their European brothers.
Earlier this year, Monster conducted a survey in Europe alone, which revealed a long-hours culture prevalent in Europe. Over 57% of Europeans and were found to work over 40 hours per week, with almost 20% of UK workers working more than 50 hours per week. These findings are followed by the release of Monster''s 2003 work/life survey results, which found that 57 percent of Americans consider themselves overworked and 71 percent admit to clocking more than 40 hours per week. The conclusion can be drawn that on both sides of the Atlantic, staff are working harder and longer than ever before, which explains increased stress levels. However, even in this harsh work environment, the majority of Europeans have managed to safeguard their precious holiday time.
*The results of the current Monster Meter are based on 72,713 votes cast by Monster U.S. users from July 7th to July 14th, 2003 on the Monster homepage. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation. Anyone interested in voting in Monster''s current online poll may do so by logging onto Monster at www.monster.com. Users may review the results of past polls by going to
**The results of the current Monster Meter are based on 3,770 votes cast by Monster.ca users from July 7th to July 14th, 2003 on the Monster.ca homepage. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation.
***The results of the current Monster Meter are based on 10,251 votes cast by Monster across its European sites from July 7th to July 21st, 2003 on the corresponding homepage. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation.
Monster 'holiday' poll puts UK workers ahead of North Americans
but trailing behind European average