Etc.

July 25, 2007

Relax: It's easy in Finland ... on 1-1/2 months off per year

If you'd like more paid time off from work, you might want to consider emigrating to Finland. According to Mercer Human Resources Consulting, which tracks such things, Finland is the most generous place in the world when it comes to offering paid vacation days. Workers with 10 years or more of tenure receive a minimum of 30 paid days off each year from their employers. And as if that weren't enough, there are 14 paid public holidays, bringing the total to 44 days of blissful free time. In the US, by comparison, employees average about 15 days of paid vacation, with 10 more days off for holidays. The countries with the most and least vacation, in days, for workers with 10 or more years on the job (not including holidays):

Most vacation

•Finland, France, United Arab Emirates 30

•Estonia Lithuania 28

•Poland 26

Least vacation

•Philippines 5

•Thailand 6

•Canada 10

•India, Indonesia 12