Summer Vacation? What Summer Vacation?
By Melanie Joy Douglas, Monster.ca 
Fewer than two-thirds of Canadians say that they will be taking as much vacation time as they are entitled to this summer, according to a new poll by Monster.ca. What’s more, a significant amount of those who are vacationing say they will be checking in with work on their time off.
Although 64% of 1,841 Canadians who participated in the online poll said they will enjoy a well-earned vacation this summer, 19% reported they will not be taking any vacation time because they do not want to come back to a “nightmare workload.” Another 16% said they will only be taking a partial vacation this summer, citing the “guilt” they would feel for leaving work behind.
While Canadian workers are entitled to a minimum of 10 days paid vacation per year, employees in most European countries are offered a minimum 20 days paid vacation. And they take it! A 2006 Ipsos-Reid survey reported that in France employees take an average 39 days vacation per year. Germans take an average 27 days, while British employees take 24. Canadian workers clock in just ahead of our southern neighbours with an average of 19 vacation days, as Americans take the lowest number of vacation days at 14.
Interestingly, workers in Quebec have a more European approach to their vacation, as 72% of French Canadians reported they intend to take time off this summer, according to the Monster poll.
But even among the employees who will be taking time off, 37% of English Canadians and 33% of French Canadians admitted they will be using their cell phone, BlackBerry, or laptop to check in with work periodically while vacationing.
A recent report “Fairness at Work: Federal Labour Standards for the 21st Century” recalls Charlie Chaplin’s famous film, Modern Times, in which a man, so overwhelmed by his job, in effect, turns into a machine; even when he stops working, his hands continue to perform the functions they carried out while he was working on an auto assembly line. While times have changed, the message couldn’t be more relevant today: our work life threatens to dictate our lives outside of work. And while a strong majority of Canadians rate good work-life balance as very important to them, survey after survey suggests only a small percentage have been able to achieve it.
Why so much guilt about going on a well-earned vacation? Employees who work overly long hours and/or don’t take their vacation entitlement are not only likely to experience stress, strained relationships, and adverse health consequences, but they also help perpetuate a “culture of long hours,” which puts pressure on other employees to do the same, or less they might be suspected of lacking commitment to their job.
The results from these Monster polls, among many other nationwide surveys are troubling. To be healthy and productive, Canadian workers should take all of their earned vacation time, but that decision ultimately rests with the worker. That said, employers can play an important role in cutting through unhealthy precedents.
In an interview with Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC), the organization noted “under the Canada Labour Code employers have the right to compel workers to take the vacation time they are entitled to.” Making vacation time compulsory could significantly decrease employees’ feelings of guilt, and instead, may enhance their well-being and productivity.
The HRSCD also suggested that employers “provide workers with increased flexibility around when and where their work can be performed; consider hiring staff in areas where the organization is heavily reliant in overtime; and offer time off in lieu of overtime pay.”
As studies continually indicate that employees feel rested, rejuvenated, and more productive after taking vacation time, hopefully, with the support of their employers, more and more employees can get past any stigma attached to using vacation time, and take an important step toward achieving that somewhat theoretical 'work-life balance'.