Saskia Rock, SHRM-SCP’s Post

A new vacation report reveals that Americans are taking fewer vacation days than any other country surveyed, with a significant 53% not planning to use all their time off this year. Despite having more days of annual leave, American unused vacation days have surged to an 11-year high with 65% feeling they won’t use all their time off. In contrast, countries like France and Hong Kong enjoy nearly a month off each year, showing a stark difference in work-life balance priorities. Data - Expedia #wealth #business #logistics #worklife

Vacation Deprivation Feeling “vacation deprived” has less to do with the actual time off one takes + more to do with cultural standards around work + free time. Nearly 67% of workers globally feel they're vacation deprived, meaning they don't get enough vacation time. Ironically, those that feel this deprivation the most are cultures that take the most time off annually. Approximately 84% of Germans + 69% of French workers feel an insufficiency with annual time off, despite taking the most vacation days — 27 days + 29 days, respectively in this survey. Americans take the least time off per year (11 days), followed by Japan (12 days). However, only 53% of Japanese said they feel “vacation deprived” compared to 65% of Americans. European cultures view time off as a basic, fundamental right, while Americans seem to see it as a guilty pleasure. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g_b5x-Bs

NEW Workplace Trend alert! 🚨 What Is Quiet Vacationing? With quiet vacationing, employees stealthily take time off without reporting vacation days. 👉 4 in 10 people were taking time off without telling their bosses. Ok, this poll is made on US workforce that is known to have fewer days for vacation, like Andorra, which offers an average annual leave balance of 45 days, while Malta comes in at 41, Estonia 39, and Iceland 38. Good to know: 👇 📌 quiet vacationing isn’t necessarily just a case of only younger workers rebelling; for many, taking annual leave can be anxiety-inducing for many reasons, whether that’s because they have a judgmental boss or they fear looking like a ‘slacker.’ And this is a huge number: 👇 🤯 61% of Gen Z and Millennial workers said employers should shut down for the entire week around the summer holiday. Question: 👉 Do you see in your company or others that you know this trend of #quietvacationing? 🌍 #learningpro 🌎

🌴 When employees return from a break, they often come back with renewed energy and a fresh perspective, leading to more creative solutions and better performance. 🌟 An Ernst & Young study showed that for every additional 10 hours of vacation time taken, year-end performance improved by 8%! 📈 It's shocking to realize that the average American only takes about 10 days of vacation per year, while countries like France offer an average of 30 days! 😮 Let's focus on the positives and embrace time off. Encourage your team to take those well-deserved breaks! 🏖️✨ #TimeOff #PTO #EmployeeWellBeing #WorkLifeBalance #VacationTime #EmployeePerformance #HRtips #WorkplaceWellness

This week of August is known to be one of the least productive in Spain. ☀ Summer is at its peak, many shops are closed, most office workers are taking their well-deserved PTO... you can feel the idleness in the air! ⛱ But is it really that easy for us as HR and talent specialists to switch off from our work? 👀 According to an article from Welcome to the Jungle, "There’s an unspoken expectation [that you have] to always be working because we feel the need to impress others with our achievements, intelligence, and hard work [...] It's become the norm to be available at any time to answer a “quick question” about work or to check emails." (https://lnkd.in/dvKzRSRb) ❓ Whether you have already taken time off, are currently on vacation or are planning it for later, do you manage to completely disconnect while on vacation? Is there a particular task in your role as HR specialist that you find difficult to leave on hold? Do you have any tips on how to make sure your mind is at rest? #disconnecting #summer #hrchallenges

In the US, most people are overworked and burned out. Among industrialized countries, the US has the least mandatory paid time off (PTO) days at zilch. The average paid vacation given in the US is 14 days after a year of service to an employer. The average paid US holidays is 8 days. Have you ever wondered what other countries are doing? Between paid holidays and vacation time, here are 25 countries where people are getting more PTO (per World Population Review). ➡️ France - 42 ➡️ Poland - 41 ➡️ Luxembourg - 40 ➡️ Austria - 38 ➡️ Iceland - 38 ➡️ Spain - 36 ➡️ Denmark - 36 ➡️ Finland - 36 ➡️ Norway - 35 ➡️ Sweden - 34 ➡️ Seychelles - 34 ➡️ Italy - 32 ➡️ New Zealand - 32 ➡️ Portugal - 31 ➡️ Germany - 30 ➡️ Australia - 30 ➡️ Ireland - 30 ➡️ Belgium - 30 ➡️ United Kingdom - 29 ➡️ Argentina - 29 ➡️ Venezuela - 29 ➡️ Greece - 29 ➡️ Morocco - 28 ➡️ Netherlands - 27 ➡️ Switzerland - 27 So…unless the US catches up at some point, we need to pack our bags and move to Europe (mainly) for better PTO. Between vacation and holidays, how does your employer measure up? 🤷🏽♀️ P.S. I received a message that the map I included didn’t accurately represent Ukraine’s borders. I’m not able to edit the photo in the post, so included two other maps in the comments that show Ukraine’s borders more accurately. To see those, change the filter on the comments to “most recent.”

🌴 When employees return from a break, they often come back with renewed energy and a fresh perspective, leading to more creative solutions and better performance. 🌟 An Ernst & Young study showed that for every additional 10 hours of vacation time taken, year-end performance improved by 8%! 📈 It's shocking to realize that the average American only takes about 10 days of vacation per year, while countries like France offer an average of 30 days! 😮 Let's focus on the positives and embrace time off. Encourage your team to take those well-deserved breaks! 🏖️✨ #TimeOff #PTO #EmployeeWellBeing #WorkLifeBalance #VacationTime #EmployeePerformance #HRtips #WorkplaceWellness

Did you know? The concept of paid vacation in Europe started as a revolutionary idea in the 1930s! 🌍 In 1936, a european country made history by granting two weeks of paid vacation to all employees, a move spearheaded by the Popular Front government and fueled by workers’ strikes demanding better conditions. This landmark policy didn’t just improve lives—it reshaped cultures, encouraged travel, and set a new global standard for labor rights. Switzerland, inspired by such reforms, later mandated 4 weeks of paid leave, solidifying its reputation for work-life balance and employee well-being. Today, many European countries have gone even further, offering 5–6 weeks of paid leave, while nurturing a culture of leisure and quality time. What european country do you think started this (at that time) revolutionary idea?🤔 👇

Reading about labor laws in Germany made me reflect on how work cultures handle vacations differently. Brazil and Germany have distinct approaches to work-life balance, and it's interesting to see the contrasts! In Brazil, employees get 30 consecutive days of vacation after a full year of work, plus a 1/3 salary bonus. You can even "sell" 10 of those days if you prefer. It's a system that encourages long, uninterrupted breaks. Germany, on the other hand, offers a minimum of 20 workdays, often extended to 25–30 days by companies. Vacations here are more flexible—you can take them in smaller chunks, and unused days often roll over to the next year . But, for me the most interesting difference is how vacations are treated if you fall ill. In Brazil, sick days during your vacation are generally not addressed, so your time off is usually counted as vacation regardless. In Germany, if you provide a doctor’s certificate, the sick days don’t count as vacation, allowing you to fully enjoy your time off later. Additionally, you don’t have to wait a full year to take some days off. For every month worked, and depending on your weekly working hours, you’re entitled to two vacation days per month. You can use them as you go or save them up and take a longer break later. If you happen to get sick during your vacation, simply provide a doctor’s note, and those sick days won’t count as vacation. Moving abroad isn’t just about learning a new language—it’s about adjusting to a whole new rhythm of life. And sometimes, understanding how to recharge is part of that journey.

📅 Granted 2/3 of the office time off for May holidays    Extended holidays are just around the corner. Everyone will be scattering to their dachas, errands, and barbecues. However, there will still be a few days between the holidays when work needs to be done. Productivity could plummet significantly during this time as transitioning back to work mode after barbecues might not be the easiest.    That's why I propose that employees take proper time off for the May holidays and enjoy a vacation. This move is advantageous for the company for several reasons.    ◾ Firstly, it eases the vacation schedule for other peak months, such as summer.    ◾ Secondly, it won't impact work productivity much, as the value of an employee who shows up for a couple of days in May is akin to waking up on January 1.    ◾ Thirdly, most partners are also off during the May holidays, so the benefit of having an employee in the office is minimal unless they are vital for supporting all services' functionality.    We have concluded that motivating employees to take vacations over the May holidays is essential. To address this, we've come up with solutions:    - Reimburse the difference between vacation and working days so that employees taking leave for May holidays don't lose out on wages. - Transition everyone planning to work back to the office from remote work to prevent them from operating out of their vegetable gardens.    ✅ As a result, the majority of our company employees have opted for vacation during May holidays. 57 individuals, slightly over half of the company's staff, have submitted vacation requests and granted themselves an extended break for 2 weeks.    We hope this initiative takes root within our company so that next time, employees will decide on vacation periods during holidays without reminders.  #a3paymentservice #fintech #motivation #lifeandworkbalance #personnelmanagement