Young Aussies urged: Take a break
Younger working Australians have been revealed to be more holiday deprived and fearful of taking all their annual leave than their older compatriots, according to the latest annual global Vacation Deprivation survey from Expedia.
Australians between the ages of 18 and 34 are twice as likely not to take all their annual leave as they feel that if they take time off to go on holiday they will miss an important decision at work.
A further 15 per cent of 18-34 year-olds fear that taking all of their holidays will be perceived negatively by their bosses and will jeopardise their job security.
Just over one in ten (11%) of 18-34 year-olds said that their work is their life and that they are too busy to take time off.
While working Australians receive an average of 20 annual leave days per year, they end up leaving three-and-a-half of their entitled annual leave days untaken.
This makes Australia the third-most holiday-deprived nation in the world among the 13 countries surveyed, and behind only Japan and the USA.
Japan is the most holiday-deprived nation for the second year in a row, receiving on average 16.5 days annual leave.
For the fourth consecutive year, France ranks as the world’s most holiday-rich nation, with the average worker receiving 37.5 annual leave days per year (and taking, on average, 34.5 of those days).
Louise Crompton, marketing manager for Expedia.com.au, urged younger Australians to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
“Scientific and medical research all point to the mental and physical health benefits of taking holidays. Taking holidays is an important component of working life and we should all take time out from our work so we do not burn out,” she said.
Most holiday-deprived nations
Rank Nation Annual leave days taken
1 Japan 9
2 United States 14
3 Australia 16.5
4 New Zealand 17
5 Canada 18
Most holiday-rich nations
Rank Nation Annual leave days taken
1 France 34.5
2 Spain 28.5
3 Denmark 26.5
4 Italy 26.5
5 Norway 26
Ian Jarrett
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