- The US is one of the only countries in the world that does not guarantee workers paid time off.
- 25 countries provide at least 28 days of paid vacation per year, according to a recent study.
- Do you live or work in a country that guarantees paid vacation? Share your experience by emailing this reporter at [email protected].
Summer is on the horizon. For some lucky Americans, that might mean two weeks of PTO and an occasional summer Friday.
American workers in their first year at a company receive an average of 11 days of paid vacation per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. After five years, that number increases to 15 days. While two weeks of vacation may feel indulgent by US standards, the international norm is actually closer to four weeks.
That’s because the US is the only advanced economy in the world that does not have federally mandated paid vacation for its workers. We have the Fair Labor Standards Act to thank for that, which “does not require payment for time not worked,” such as vacations or sick leave.
Instead, individual companies determine their PTO policies. It may not come as a surprise, then, that the World Economic Forum ranked the US among the worst countries for work-life balance.
In some European countries like France, Italy, and Spain — where paid vacation is a legal right — it’s common for workers to take a full month off of work during the summer.
But it’s not just Europe. According to 2022 data analyzed by the software development company Resume.io, a total of 25 countries around the world guarantee workers at least 28 days of paid vacation (not including holidays). See the full list:
