Every seventh employee in the United Arab Emirates feels vacation-deprived, according to Expedia’s annual survey “2014 Vacation Deprivation Study.”
The research focused on tens of countries in Europe, the Middle East, North America, Europe and South America and it includes opinions and views of over 7,850 working adults. Similar to the previous editions of the Vacation Deprivation Study, the 2014 research shows great disparity in terms of vacation behavior between different countries.
Employed adults in the United Arab Emirates are given some of the longest vacations in the world. Expedia shares that, similar to workers in France, Germany, Denmark and Spain, those in UAE are entitled to 30 full days of vacation per year. However, in all five of these countries, including in the UAE, most employees take all 30 of their vacation days. Despite that, the percentage of people feeling vacation-deprived in the United Arab Emirates is among the highest – 73%.
In contrast, employed adults in the U.S. are entitled to 15 work-off days, of which they use 14 on the average. Nevertheless, only 54% of Americans have shared that they feel either very or somewhat vacation-deprived.
So, why are UAE employees so overworked? According to the study, that may be due to UAE workers to bright their work with them even when they are on a vacation. The research has discovered that a staggering 44% of the employed adults in the United Arab Emirates check their work voicemail or email at least once every day of their vacation. According to the study, that makes the UAE employees one of the most work-obsessed in the world. In comparison, only 37% of German workers have that habit when they are on a break.
However, UAE workers are not the most vacation-deprived in the world. This year, this title goes to South Korean and Japanese employees. Although workers in South Korea are entitled to 15 days off per year, in 2014 they took barely 7 on the average. In Japan, employees are given a total of 20 full free days a year. Yet, people there tend to take advantage only of half of them. That easily makes them the most vacation-deprived in the world.
