Which countries offer the most annual leave?

Europe

EU policy requires member states to offer a minimum of 20 days annual leave to its employees, which, as a starting point, is more than some leading international economies. However, many EU states have gone above and beyond in providing annual leave, which, when combined with public holidays, gives employees a decent opportunity to take a break from the daily grind.

France is well known for the length of  annual leave it offers, especially when combined with the number of public holidays. There is a base of 25 days of annual leave for all employees, with an added 11 paid public holidays. In addition to this, there are possibilities for even more time off if certain conditions are met, such as taking holiday outside of summertime.

Scandinavian countries often fare well in reports on international happiness, so it comes as no surprise that they are some of the best at keeping their employees happy with a nice, long holiday. Denmark, like France, offers workers 25 days of leave, as well as 9 public holidays. Sweden and Finland both have 11 public holidays, however Sweden has one more day of annual leave with 25 days.

Spain has the highest entitlement to paid public holidays at 14, which, with an added 22 days leave, makes for over a months worth of holiday time to either see the world or simply stay at home and finish that book (and probably even get through a few more). Austria has the second highest public holiday entitlement at 13, with the number of days for annual leave varying between 22 and 25, leaving your more than enough time to fit in a short ski break.

Although the UK is often considered to have quite generous annual leave policies, its 20 days leave (the bare minimum) and eight public holiday's pale in comparison to some of the other European destinations mentioned. However, this often varies from company to company, and you may find that certain positions or the length of time worked at a business may make you eligible for more days off.

Non-EU

Brazil is one of the more generous non-EU countries, allowing its workers a full 30 days off. However, employees can't split this as they choose and it must be taken all in one go (though this can be changed at the employers discretion). There are also 11 public holidays to boot, along with the thrill of living in Carnival country (so it is recommended that you take your month off in February, in order to make the most of the festivities).

The United Arab Emirates also has a healthy annual leave policy, with 30 days for an employee who has worked at a company for more than a year. However, this includes 10 public holidays that occur during the year. Similarly, Bahrain offers employees 30 days annual leave (however the decision of whether this includes weekends is left to the employer) and an additional 14 public holidays. Weekends or not, that amounts to a sweet 36 days off.

Not all countries are quite so keen to give their workers time off, however. In the US, for example, there is no mention of paid leave in the country's original labour laws, and, as a result, employees are not entitled to any paid leave under federal law. There are some companies that have started to buck the trend by offering leave as a job perk (most companies offer 10 working days as standard), however this notably changes paid leave from being seen as a basic workers right to a benefit.

Japan only offers its employees 10 days, which, in a country where sleeping at ones desk is seen as a sign of hard work, may not be all that surprising. While there are also 15 public holidays, it doesn't compare to the European countries, especially when combined with the intensity of the work environment in the country. South Korea has a similar working culture, where, despite 15 days annual leave being afforded, workers may not be inclined to take off the entirety of their time off.