The average worker will often complain that there aren’t enough statutory public holidays. These holidays allow employees to take a day off and get paid for it, whether it’s Christmas, Good Friday or Thanksgiving. All over the world, there are a wide variety of public holidays that can be deemed too much or too little.
Businesses may think that those in the United States or Canada have too many public holidays - in Canada, the province of Ontario has something called Family Day in the middle of February. Let’s face it: it’s lost productivity and a strain on business owners as they are forced to pay for wages when no one is working.
However, if you think Canada and the United States have way too many vacation days then perhaps you should take a look at these eight nations that have a lot of statutory holidays. At the same time, you may understand why a few of these countries have deplorable economies and are known for their high levels of joblessness, poverty, and debt.
For instance, Brazil currently leads the world in the number of total vacation days for its workers. Although it is gradually becoming an economic powerhouse, it also has one of the highest rates of poverty in South America at nine percent. However, with its adoption of capitalism and free markets that percentage is declining every single year.
Indeed, many may consider the Scandinavian countries as having enviable and fantastic economic models. However, in recent years, they have been undergoing severe financial problems of their own.
Here is what Kevin Williamson, author of "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Socialism," wrote about the growing issues affecting Sweden, and other Scandinavian states adopting similar models:
"…Most of the young men, thousands of them every day, lie when they call in sick. The same goes for thousands of young women. And older people, too. They call in sick, without being sick—and why? Because it has become a habit. And because—very important this!—given the idiotic tax system, you lose very little by not working.”
Due to the generous system that Scandinavian governments maintain, people just don’t want to work.
It has been well documented what has been unfolding in France, especially since Socialist President Francois Hollande took over the reigns from former President Nicolas Sarkozy. The country’s finances are in dire straits, and the only solution that Hollande has put forward is greater taxation without any spending reforms - we all know by now how gracious the government’s social programs are.
Meanwhile, Greece has dominated the business headlines for years because its economy and government have collapsed. Although many reforms have been instituted, it still hasn’t recovered from its financial crisis a few years ago. Just last week its market tanked.
This isn’t necessarily an indictment on public holidays, but it’s a depiction of what happens when its labor force doesn’t necessarily want to work (or it simply can’t). Canada has the smallest amount of public holidays, and its economy remains strong and has been virtually unscathed from the economic collapse, except for the eastern region of the country.
Here are eight countries with the most public holidays in the world today (stats via China.org.cn):
1. Brazil
Number of Vacation Days: 30
Public Holidays: 11
Total Days of Vacation Time: 41
2. Lithuania
Number of Vacation Days: 28
Public Holidays: 13
Total Days of Vacation Time: 41
3. France
Number of Vacation Days: 30
Public Holidays: 10
Total Days of Vacation Time: 40
4. Russia
Number of Vacation Days: 28
Public Holidays: 12
Total Days of Vacation Time: 40
5. Finland/Sweden
Number of Vacation Days: 30
Public Holidays: 10
Total Days of Vacation Time: 40
6. Malta
Number of Vacation Days: 24
Public Holidays: 14
Total Days of Vacation Time: 38
7. Austria
Number of Vacation Days: 25
Public Holidays: 13
Total Days of Vacation Time: 38
8. Greece
Number of Vacation Days: 25
Public Holidays: 12
Total Days of Vacation Time: 37