Should the U.S. be taking notes from Europe when it comes to PTO?

Published Updated 4 Min Read

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A new year comes with new vacation plans, and for many Americans that means figuring out just how much time they can take off between personal, sick and vacation days without breaking their PTO bank — but is there enough time to go around?

On average, employees in the U.S. take 14 days off per year, while workers in European countries like Spain, France, Germany and even the U.K. take 24 days, according to workforce tech solutions company Skynova. The disparity isn’t a surprise, since the U.S. does not federally mandate paid vacation or holidays, leaving it up to the discretion of employers. The EU, on the other hand, requires at least 20 days of vacation for all employees while the U.K. requires 28 days.

Deanna Cuadra
Senior Reporter

Deanna Cuadra is a senior reporter at Employee Benefit News. Her work covers healthcare, U.S. policy and reform, challenges faced by women and parents in the workplace and innovation in work culture … Read full bio


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