How much vacation time do workers in Czechia take? Not enough, experts say

According to a new study, half of Czech employees are not taking enough vacation time, leading to increased stress and potential burnout. 

A recent survey by employment firm Grafton Recruitment revealed that a majority of Czechs take only one week of vacation at a time, despite recommendations from psychologists to take at least two weeks off for proper rest and rejuvenation. This trend is causing concern for the well-being of employees and the potential negative impact on their mental health.

The survey, which included 350 Czech employees, found that exactly half of all respondents typically take only one week of vacation at a time, while 46 percent opt for two weeks and less than 5 percent take three weeks off. Grafton found that added financial pressures on society nowadays have also caused workers to curtail their vacationing.

Marketing director at Grafton Jitka Kouba noted that over half of the respondents stay in contact with work during their vacations, which goes against recommendations from psychologists to completely disconnect for proper rejuvenation.

Employers are also taking steps to support the mental well-being of their employees, with various well-being programs and additional time off. However, these should be seen as supplements, not replacements, for a full and sufficient vacation. According to Kouba, up to 10 different benefits associated with time off are available for employees in the IT and business services industries. 

The data from the industry association Association of Business Service Leaders in the Czech Republic shows that 77 percent of companies provide some of these benefits to their employees. Some of these benefits include sick days, days for necessary office visits, loyalty days, "Happy Days" for celebrations and special events, and "Recharge Days" to rest after completing a challenging project.

Despite the most common vacation length in the Czech Republic being one week, another survey by Grafton Recruitment found that 95 percent of employees are interested in having five or more weeks of vacation annually. This has become one of the most requested benefits among Czech employees. "The good news is that six in 10 employees already have this option in their jobs, not only in office fields but also in production and among blue-collar workers," Kouba concludes.