Patricia Hluchy, Toronto Star

Jul 08, 2007 04:30 AM

Which country has the most generous vacation policy?

According to a report from the Washington, D.C., Center for Economic and Policy Research, which canvassed the 21 richest nations in the world, that distinction falls to Finland.

The Baltic nation allots a minimum of 30 paid vacation days a year to all employees after their first year of work, plus 14 paid statutory holidays.

A survey of 49 countries by Mercer Human Resource Consulting also places Finland at the top.

The runner-up, according to the CEPR, is France, where all workers – including those in their first year of employment – are entitled by law to 30 days of vacation, but with just one paid holiday.

Next in line are Norway (25 paid vacation days, two holidays), Sweden (25 vacation days) and Germany (24 vacation days, between 9 and 13 holidays).

No European country provides fewer than 20 paid vacation days a year; nor do Australia or New Zealand.

Near the bottom of the CEPR's list of 21 are Canada and Japan, with a legal minimum of 10 vacation days.

The lowest spot is occupied by the United States, which does not require employers to provide any paid vacation, and where, typically, large companies allow for 15 vacation days and 10 paid holidays for full-time employees of 10 years, according to Mercer.

Within Canada, vacation allotment is a provincial jurisdiction. According to the federal department of Human Resources and Social Development, Saskatchewan is the exception to the 10-day policy, giving employees with a minimum of one year's service 15 days of paid vacation.

Paid holidays range from five days in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland to 10 in the Northwest Territories. Ontario has eight statutory holidays, plus the August civic holiday, which employers aren't obliged to honour.

Ipsos Reid reported in May that 36 per cent of employed Canadians consider themselves to be "vacation-deprived," and that two in 10 employed Canadians do not take their full vacation entitlement.

Source: http://www.thestar.com/News/article/233523