Report: Everyone at the office should vacation at the same time
Aug 26, 2014, 4:30 PM
You know that guy in accounting you dread seeing in the break room, let alone outside of work? It turns out you should vacation together.
But hold on. According to The Week, you don’t have to go to the same spot. A new Swedish study said vacations benefit employees more when everyone takes a break at the same time.
The reasoning behind the study is fairly simple: When everyone is away from the office, there’s no one to check in with from the beach.
No wonder many are finding that going away is too much work. Only 40 percent of Americans use their vacation time, 60 percent say they work while on vacation, and many complain about the work-crunch before and after the holidays.
The study felt everyone going away at the same time was more feasible in American than the current European model, in which multiple countries tend to come to a standstill while everyone enjoys a vacation during certain summer months.
Why is it more feasible? We’re glad you asked. A different study said exactly zero American companies are required to grant paid vacation and, when they do, it is often the standard two weeks.
Fourteen days of paid vacation would likely be viewed as criminal in Europe, where citizens are given about 30 days off annually.