I thought it was simple: Vacations are fun, Americans are stressed, and happiness raises productivity and sales. Therefore, people should take more vacations, right? But research doesn’t hold that line of thinking up. Not every vacation is equal.
According to a 2013 report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, the U.S. is the only developed country that does not legally require a single paid vacation day. The government declares holidays for federal employees, but there is no law saying that employers have to pay for “vacation days.” The EU, on the other hand, legally requires 20 paid vacation days as a minimum. France requires 30. If you want to get more jealous, Austria, Belgium, and Denmark actually pay employees more when on vacation to offset the costs of travel. Seriously.
Image Courtesy of Sura Nualpradid / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
To read the original article: When a Vacation Reduces Stress -- And When It Doesn't - Shawn Achor - Harvard Business Review
