Food and beverage industry most vacation-deprived: Survey

Almost 70 per cent of workers feel they deserve more time off

Food and beverage industry most vacation-deprived: Survey
Across the board, Canadians agreed vacations are vital for their health and well-being, with the vast majority feeling less stressed (94 per cent), happier (95 per cent) and more focused on work (89 per cent) once they return from a vacation. Shutterstock

The food and beverage industry ranks as the most vacation-deprived in Canada, with nearly two-thirds of workers feeling this sentiment.

The agricultural (62 per cent) and retail (61 per cent) sectors followed, according to a survey of 15,081 workers in North America, South America, Europe and Asia-Pacific by online travel site Expedia.

The finance and legal industry ranked much lower, with only 47 per cent of people feeling vacation-deprived.

On a global scale, Canada ranked around the tenth most vacation-deprived country, with South Korea ranking as the most vacation-deprived and Norway as the least.

Across the board, Canadians agreed vacations are vital for their health and well-being, with the vast majority feeling less stressed (94 per cent), happier (95 per cent) and more focused on work (89 per cent) once they return from a vacation.

"Regardless of where you work, taking a vacation is vital. We all know having time off to discover new places, engage in activities and spend time with your family is a great way to recharge the batteries," said Jennifer Callegaro, head of brand marketing at Expedia Canada.

This year, more than half of Canadians (53 per cent) consider themselves vacation-deprived, found the survey of 1,002 workers:

  • Regionally, Quebec was the most vacation-deprived province (58 per cent), while British Columbia was the least (45 per cent).
  • Almost 70 per cent of Canadians (67 per cent) feel they deserve more vacation days than given.
  • Younger Canadians are less likely to take their vacation days (64 per cent of 18-34 year olds experienced vacation-deprivation), versus their elders who were more likely to capitalize on their vacation time (40 per cent of 50+ year olds experienced vacation deprivation).
  • When Canadians were asked if they would consider relocating to Europe in order to receive 25-30 days of paid vacation, less than 20 per cent were willing to consider this move.
  • However, Canadians are willing to sacrifice every day comforts for their vacation, with 59 per cent stating they would give up alcohol for an extra day off, 50 per cent would be willing to give up social media and 25 per cent would be happy to set down their smartphones.

    Vacations top of mind
    Nearly two in three Canadians admit to spending time at work dreaming about vacations and over half (54 per cent) spend time actually planning their upcoming vacations while at work.

    Breaking that down further, 36 per cent of Canadians spend at least two hours per week at work dreaming about and planning potential vacations, found Expedia.

    Maximizing vacation days by adding to a business trip was also considered of value, and was of most importance to 18 to 34 year olds, where 65 per cent indicated they would add on extra days.

    On average this year, Canadians received 19 vacation days from employers, but will only take 17 of them — leaving 2 days of unused vacation time on the table:

  • Thirty per cent of Canadians tend to work during their vacation.
  • Over 70 per cent (73 per cent) don’t feel guilty for taking a vacation.
  • One-fifth (21 per cent) check email and voicemail at least once a day while on vacation, with 37 per cent feel more stressed after doing so.
  • In terms of impending workload following a vacation, 35 per cent of Canadians said this impacted the length of trip they decided to take. At a global level, this number rose to 53 per cent among those 18 to 34 years of age, the age group where this had the most impact.

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