New research by Employ Borderless, the Singapore-based independent advisory platform for global hiring solution, has shown that British workers currently have a legal right to less paid time off than staff in 82 other countries. The platform’s Global Paid Time Off Index ranks 150 countries on the minimum paid leave the law requires employers to give, including statutory annual leave and paid public holidays. With UK law setting 28 days of statutory paid leave and allowing employers to count the eight bank holidays within that, Britain falls below the global median of 29 days (11.2% of the working year) and below the European average.
In general, the UK has a good reputation for fair employment, but compared to the rest of Europe, which averages 31.6 days, Britain’s statutory paid leave looks less than generous. Portugal, Spain and Italy provide 35, 34 and 33 days respectively, and Ireland (30) and Germany (29) also give more. Georgia tops the chart with 42 days of paid leave.
“Most people in Britain think of 28 days as generous. Once you see bank holidays are folded into it, the UK sits in the bottom half of the world and below the European average.”
— Robbin Schuchmann, co-founder, Employ Borderless
Cambodia and Zambia (24 leave + 15 holidays) are also among the top-ranking countries, offering 39 days of paid statutory leave, 11 days more than the UK.
The UK isn’t alone in its approach to statutory leave, with Belarus, Botswana and Ethiopia also providing 28 days (just 10.8% of a 260-day working year) and sharing 83rd place. However, it must be noted that these are legal minimums, and many employers, in the UK and elsewhere, offer considerably more.
Surprisingly, several countries known for their work-life balance give less paid time off by law than Britain. France (26 days), Sweden (25), Norway (23), and Finland and the Netherlands (20 each) all rank below the UK, because their laws don’t require employers to pay for most public holidays.
Robbin Schuchmann, global hiring expert and co-founder of Employ Borderless, said: “Most people in Britain think of 28 days as generous. Once you see bank holidays are folded into it, the UK sits in the bottom half of the world and below the European average. For any business with staff in more than one country, that gap shows up quickly. A team member in Dublin or Madrid starts with more guaranteed time off than a colleague in London doing the same job.”
