There’s almost nothing that can top the feeling of going on a vacation. We’re planning it weeks ahead and excitement about it grows stronger as our vacation days start to approach. We could even compare it to the feeling of falling in love: we feel butterflies in our stomach, our mood significantly improves and the world seems like a better place to be.

But, somehow we still feel like we don’t have enough free days throughout the year. There are just too many things to do.

Canadians are too polite to ask for days off

A study the Center for Economic and Policy Research did, almost six years ago, found that Canada ranks at the bottom of the ladder of economically advanced countries in the amount of paid vacation days. Canadian labor laws currently grant up to 10 paid vacation days per year.

Canadians also receive nine paid vacation days, due to holidays which brings us to a total amount of 19 paid days off from work. And when you see how many paid vacation days other countries get, you can easily agree with the statement that Canada has some of the worst paid vacation time in the world.

Canada VS world

(Source Wikipedia)

Vacation days in Canada be like: “Use it, or lose it”

Did you know that taking a vacation is good for you? It boosts your morale, makes you a more productive person, and getting some time off from work gives you a good perspective on things. That’s why you should track your vacation days and spread them regularly throughout the year.

In Canada, there’s a policy that advocates the “Use it or lose it principle” which means employees can lose their vacation time if they miss taking some days off. This can become pretty tricky because many employers respect the “use it or lose it” principle with respect to vacation. What they often refuse to understand, however, is that they are supposed to give extra pay to the employee who failed to use paid vacation days. Some companies even refuse vacation time due to operational needs or policy conflicts, which can leave employees unsure of their rights.

With this being said, we can conclude two things:

If you own a company, respect your budget and make your employees use their vacation days, without paying some extra time.

Or if you’re an employee, make sure you use vacation days throughout the year without the risk of endangering your health.

Take a profit from your employees’ days off

It might sound awkward, but your company actually profits from paid vacation days. The reason behind is complex and it’s not completely obvious, but when you think about it it’s quite logical.

When your employees take a regular vacation, chances of heading for burnout decrease which means there won’t be any bigger collateral that will damage your business.

Well – rested employee is a happy and more productive employee, which means the job is done in a timely manner and there’s no risk of being late with product/service delivery.

All of this makes employees stay in the company longer, and if we know that replacing a good worker costs almost two times more… Well, we would say that taking vacation days has its purpose.

If you want to avoid surprise costs down the road, the best place to start is by keeping track of your team’s vacation days. Vacation Tracker makes that easy. It takes just a few seconds to set up, works beautifully for teams of all sizes, and fits right into the tools you already use — Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Workspace. You can start for free, and if you’re curious to see everything the tool can do, you can try the full version with a 14-day free trial. It’s a simple, low-pressure way to see if it’s the right match for your team. Honestly, you’ve got nothing to lose.

Canadians who want more paid vacation days should learn the power of negotiation

“Do a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life” holds the truth when you start thinking about it. That’s why you shouldn’t make compromises when it comes to picking a job. If you feel like there are not enough vacation days throughout the year, try negotiating it.

Companies around the globe figured out one of the best ways for retaining workers, and it’s an Unlimited PTO policy. Basically, it means you can take as much as days off as you please, as long as you get things done.

The Internet era changes us all, and it has changed the way we work. And it comes with its good and bad sides. Try using it in your advance, especially when it means negotiating more (paid) free days.

Ana Mladenovic

A cat enthusiast and a cupcake maniac, Ana is a freelance Content Writer passionate about HR, productivity, and team management topics. When she’s not at her keyboard, you can find Ana in the kitchen, trying to make delicious cookies.