Posts about Holidays
U.S. is among the stingiest nations in world for paid worker holidays
Posted by: Dee DePass Updated: December 13, 2011 - 3:05 PM
A worldwide study by HR consulting giant Mercer has found that The United Kingdom and Poland are the most-generous countries for paid holidays and vacations. The United States is the stingiest.
In its "Employee holiday entitlements around the world" report released Tuesday, Mercer found that by law U.K. workers generally get 28 paid vacation days plus 11 paid holidays for a total of 36 paid days off. Workers in Poland get 26 paid vacation days and 11 paid public holidays. Must be nice.
Workers in the United States surely wouldn't know. The United States has no federal law requiring companies to pay workers for holidays. In general, however, many U.S. companies give workers at least two weeks of paid vacation and up to 10 public holidays. U.S. workers tend to get more vacation time after five or 10 years on the job.
According to the study, the United States is not alone in dolling out vacation sparingly. The Philippines, Thailand, China, Canada and Indonesia give workers between 19 and 26 days off a year.
After the United Kingdom and Poland, the most-generous nations for time off include the Austria, Greece, Bolivia, Denmark, Finland and France.
|
Country
|
Statutory minimum holidays (working days)
|
Ranking by statutory minimum
|
Public holidays (days)
|
Ranking by public holidays
|
Total (working days)
|
|
United Kingdom
|
281
|
1
|
8
|
11
|
362
|
|
Poland
|
263
|
2
|
11
|
8
|
37
|
|
Austria
|
25
|
3
|
13
|
5
|
38
|
|
Bolivia
|
254
|
3
|
12
|
7
|
37
|
|
Denmark
|
25
|
3
|
9
|
10
|
34
|
|
Finland
|
255
|
3
|
106
|
9
|
35
|
|
France
|
257
|
3
|
11
|
8
|
36
|
|
Greece
|
258
|
3
|
12
|
7
|
37
|
|
Luxembourg
|
25
|
3
|
10
|
9
|
35
|
|
Sweden
|
25
|
3
|
11
|
8
|
36
|
|
Malta
|
24
|
4
|
14
|
4
|
38
|
|
Venezuela
|
24
|
4
|
12
|
7
|
36
|
|
Hungary
|
23 (age 31/32)9
|
5
|
10
|
9
|
33
|
|
Brazil
|
2210
|
6
|
11
|
8
|
33
|
|
Peru
|
2211
|
6
|
12
|
7
|
34
|
|
Portugal
|
2212
|
6
|
13
|
5
|
35
|
|
Spain
|
2213
|
6
|
14
|
4
|
36
|
|
United Arab Emirates
|
2214
|
6
|
9
|
10
|
31
|
|
Norway
|
2115
|
7
|
10
|
9
|
31
|
|
Argentina
|
2016
|
8
|
12
|
7
|
32
|
|
Australia
|
20
|
8
|
1017
|
9
|
30
|
|
Belgium
|
20
|
8
|
10
|
9
|
30
|
|
Croatia
|
20
|
8
|
13
|
5
|
33
|
|
Cyprus
|
20
|
8
|
15
|
3
|
35
|
|
Czech Republic
|
20
|
8
|
12
|
7
|
32
|
|
Germany
|
2018
|
8
|
919
|
10
|
29
|
|
Ireland
|
20
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
29
|
|
Italy
|
20
|
8
|
11
|
8
|
31
|
|
Japan
|
2020
|
8
|
15
|
3
|
35
|
|
Latvia
|
20
|
8
|
12
|
7
|
32
|
|
Lithuania
|
2021
|
8
|
13
|
5
|
33
|
|
Netherlands
|
2022
|
8
|
8
|
11
|
28
|
|
New Zealand
|
2023
|
8
|
11
|
8
|
31
|
|
Romania
|
20
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
29
|
|
Russia
|
2024
|
8
|
12
|
7
|
32
|
|
Serbia
|
20
|
8
|
8
|
11
|
28
|
|
Slovakia
|
20
|
8
|
15
|
3
|
35
|
|
Slovenia
|
20
|
8
|
13
|
5
|
33
|
|
Switzerland
|
20
|
8
|
925
|
10
|
29
|
|
South Korea
|
1926
|
9
|
15
|
3
|
34
|
|
Morocco
|
1827
|
10
|
14
|
4
|
32
|
|
Ukraine
|
1828
|
10
|
9
|
10
|
27
|
|
Turkey
|
1729
|
11
|
13.5
|
6
|
30.5
|
|
Malaysia
|
1630
|
12
|
16
|
2
|
32
|
|
Mexico
|
16
|
12
|
731
|
12
|
23
|
|
Chile
|
15
|
12
|
14
|
4
|
29
|
|
Colombia
|
15
|
13
|
18
|
1
|
33
|
|
Ecuador
|
1532
|
13
|
9
|
10
|
24
|
|
Lebanon
|
15
|
13
|
16
|
2
|
31
|
|
South Africa
|
1533
|
13
|
12
|
7
|
27
|
|
Taiwan
|
1534
|
13
|
13
|
5
|
28
|
|
Hong Kong
|
1435
|
14
|
1236
|
7
|
26
|
|
Pakistan
|
14
|
14
|
11
|
8
|
25
|
|
Singapore
|
1437
|
14
|
11
|
8
|
25
|
|
Vietnam
|
14
|
14
|
9
|
10
|
23
|
|
India
|
1238
|
15
|
1639
|
2
|
28
|
|
Indonesia
|
12
|
15
|
14
|
4
|
26
|
|
Canada
|
1040
|
16
|
941
|
10
|
19
|
|
China
|
1042
|
16
|
11
|
8
|
21
|
|
Thailand
|
6
|
17
|
16
|
2
|
22
|
|
Philippines
|
5
|
18
|
15
|
3
|
20
|
|
United States
|
No mandatory requirement, see explanations below. Typical practice would be 15 days.
|
19
|
10
|
9
|
25 (including typical vacation time)
|
A dandy of a backlash is boiling against Target's Black Thursday plans.
Posted by: Dee DePass Updated: November 16, 2011 - 5:46 PMAnthony Hardwick's "Tell Target to Save Thanksgiving" campaign has struck a nerve.
More than 122,000 people have signed the Target employee's petition at www.change.org/. His goal? To have supporters tell the retailer to give up its midnight store opening on Thanksgiving night. Employees want to eat turkey with their families next Thursday and not disrupt the holiday evening just so they can schlep to work to help Target earn an extra buck.
The argument appears to be gaining some traction. Some 60,000 Americans signed Hardwick's petition as of of Monday night. By Tuesday afternoon, the number was 93,363. By dawn Wednesday, it hit 100,053. By dusk it was nearly 123,000.
Target's decision to start Black Friday even earlier than usual wasn't done in a vacuum. Wal-Mart said it will open stores at 10 PM Thanksgiving night.
But the question is, are employees really suffering by being called to work on a holiday normally spent at home? What do you think? National unemployment still stings at 9 percent. Do workers have a right to gripe? Apparently so.
Sears felt so strongly about the subject, its communications staff sent reporters notes Tuesday saying Sears will stay shut on Turkey day so its employees can spend time with their families. As for shoppers? They can head to Sears store at 4 am on Black Friday.
Workers and employers, feel free to join in the debate on Twitter at DePassStrib or email dee.depass@startribune.com.
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