Study: Israelis Don’t Take Advantage of Vacation Days

About half of Israeli workers do not utilize their full array of vacation days, a study shows. In 2017, the study shows, some 54 percent of Israeli workers took just three vacation days – while 20 percent did not take even one vacation day.

The study was taken on behalf of the Prima Hotel chain by the Roschniak Institute, researching the vacation habits of Israelis. The poll examined the vacation habits of 600 Israeli workers between 25 and 65 years of age, a representative sample of all workers in the economy.

Israelis in general are not big vacation takers, the poll showed. According to the law, workers are entitled to a minimum of ten days vacation, with days added each year based on how long an employee has worked at a job. Regardless of experience or eligibility, however, some 35 percent of workers took between just one and six days of vacation each year. Only one third of workers took the full number of vacation days they were eligible for. And of those who did take any vacation, 51 percent did at least some work during their vacations.

According to OECD figures, Israelis work on average for more hours than their colleagues in other countries. Israelis work an average of 1,858 hours a year, compared to the OECD average of 1,766 hours annually. However, the figures show, Israeli worker productivity is below the OECD average.