According to 2014 Vacation Deprivation study, the median number of vacation time available to employed Europeans is 28 days. Thirty days are offered to residents of Denmark, France, Germany, and Spain. They take full advantage; residents of all four countries report having taken every day available to them. Their European peers trail them only slightly. UK residents take 25 of 26 days whereas Italians take 21 of 28 days. Austrians, Norwegians and the Swedish take 25 of 25 days off, while the Dutch take 24 of 25 days and the Irish take 21 of 22.
Residents of Asia-Pacific and North America, in comparison, are wedded to work. US workers were given approximately 15 days off in the past year, and took 14. While still sparse relative to Europe, this represents an uptick from 2013, when American workers were offered 14 days and took 12.
Mexican workers were also given approximately 15 days off, but took 12, leaving 20% of available vacation time on the table. In a separate study conducted earlier in 2014, Canadians reported on average they will take 15 vacation days this year, down from 17 days the year prior.
While United Arab Emirates (UAE) workers are given, and take, a full 30 days of vacation each year. In the past year, Asia-Pacific workers were offered a median number of 19 days off, and took 14.
Thai workers were found to be the most "Vacation Deprived" as relative to available vacation days, with 11, the study's true "winner" is South Korea, whose workers took only 7 of 15 available days off in the past year.
Worldwide, 53% of 2014 Vacation Deprivation respondents typically spend their vacation time by taking several short vacations and long weekend trips throughout the year. Sixty percent of Americans spend their vacation allowance in this fashion, versus 23% who take one long holiday.
Globally, 29% of people prefer to stockpile days for a single long vacation. A full 15% of Austrian respondents report that they typically spend their vacation allotment taking care of errands and home improvement projects around the house. Eleven percent Indian workers say that their time off work is typically spent on trips tied to weddings or family obligations.
However, employees still check their emails and voicemails when on vacation.
Thirty percent of North American and Asia-Pacific workers checked work email/voicemail one or more times a day versus 19% of European workers.
The most work-obsessed travelers were from the UAE, of whom 44% check work email/voicemail at least once a day. Sixty-three percent of German travelers say they "never" check work email or voicemail on break, along with 60% of the Danish and 55% of Swedes and the Dutch.