UK workers have the shortest holidays and the longest working hours in Europe

The country with the shortest holidays and the longest working hours in Europe is the UK, according to a recent analysis by Manpower, the world's leading recruiter of specialist, flexible and contract workforces.

In the UK, a worker puts in over 43.6 hours a week - far higher than any European counterpart. The average number of working hours for the European Union is around 40 hours a week. In 1999, the UK Government amended the Working Time Directive to opt out of the maximum 48 - hour week, which may explain why one in ten workers in the UK spends 61 hours a week or more at work.

In addition, a British worker only has 20 days holiday* a year. This allows the holidays are for wimps culture to remain embedded amongst the UK working population. Interestingly, despite having the shortest holidays and the longest working hours in the European Union, the UK has one of the lowest GDP per working population in Europe.

By comparison, Mediterranean countries like Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy have some of the longest holidays in Europe, ranging from 33 to 36 days. Austria, a relatively recent member of the European Union has the
longest holiday time in Europe, with 38 days and has an above average European GDP per working population.

France is another country with extensive holidays of 36 days a year. Holidays are such an important part of the French culture and lifestyle, that the nation has introduced specific vocabulary to describe different
types of holidaymakers; people who holiday in July are called 'juilletistes' and those who take a break in August are called 'aotiens'. In spite of the recent introduction of the 35-hour working week legislation for certain companies, the Manpower analysis shows that French employees still work around 39.6 hours a week. The French economy enjoys a healthy GDP per working population despite the extensive holiday time taken by its workers.

Scandinavian countries such as Denmark, Finland and Sweden have extensive holidays with over 34 days per year- this is perhaps surprisingly similar to countries in southern Europe. However, the Scandinavian countries tend to have shorter working weeks compared with Mediterranean countries.

Luxembourg, a small country with a working population of only 231 000, enjoys the highest productivity per working population in Europe whilst having long holidays of 35 days a year and just under the European average for working hours.


Holiday variations across Europe

Working Hours across Europe
Country Weekly Working hours
Germany 40.1
UK 43.6
France 39.6
Italy 38.5
Spain 40.6
Netherlands 39
Portugal 40.6
Greece 40.8
Sweden 40.1
Belgium 38.4
Austria 40.2
Denmark 38.9
Finland 39.3
Ireland 40
Luxembourg 39.7

Manpower recognises the importance of flexibility in the workplace for both employees and employers. It is essential that employees take adequate holiday time, as they are able to perform better and often return to work with even greater motivation for the job in hand. Flexible work patterns offered by temporary and/or part time work can create opportunities and enable family incomes to be supplemented. It also allows work to fit into family responsibilities making it part of the increasingly important work-life balance.

The Manpower analysis highlights the diversity in working practices, which remains across Europe. It also shows that countries with lengthier holidays are not necessarily reducing their workforces' productivity. In addition, countries with longer working hours are not necessarily improving their workforce's productivity. This raises challenging questions about whether harmonisation of working hours and holiday time across Europe will ever be achievable or if it is even desirable.