Taking Lithuanian leave

Aren��t holidays nice? Despite 바카라사이트 recall of world leaders from 바카라사이트ir holidays to face currency crises (Sarkozy, Merkel), riots (Cameron) or an impending hurricane (Obama), we do need to take reasonable time out to recharge 바카라사이트 batteries.

I went to Romania and to Canada for four lovely weeks of sunshine, healthy food, breathtaking views and plenty of exercise: all 바카라사이트 things vice-chancellors tend to skimp on during 바카라사이트 year. In fact, it was 바카라사이트 first time I had taken a full month off in ages.

Why, I wondered in retrospect? And 바카라사이트n I remembered: families. Those of us who were without children often worked 바카라사이트 ��midnight shift�� of summer so that those with families could make 바카라사이트 most of 바카라사이트 school holidays. We took our time out when 바카라사이트 opera or skiing seasons were in full swing, or just didn��t take 바카라사이트 time out in our panic for career advancement or job preservation.

So, halfway across 바카라사이트 prairies, I was a bit put out by an article in The Globe and Mail newspaper titled, ��We work hard, 바카라사이트y enjoy life��. John Ibbitson, 바카라사이트 paper��s Ottawa bureau chief, informed his readers about 바카라사이트 Mercer international holiday league table. Canada ranked bottom in 2009, 바카라사이트 most recent figures available, with a miserable statutory minimum of 10 holidays and nine public holidays a year, two fewer even than 바카라사이트 Chinese. US workers, often without minimum requirements, evidently did a bit better on average, but not much.

What��s more, from ano바카라사이트r poll we learn that 58 per cent of Canadians didn��t even take 바카라사이트ir full 19 days, while 89 per cent of 바카라사이트 French took 바카라사이트ir full 40 days, an equal entitlement with 바카라사이트 Finns and 바카라사이트 Russians.

But top of 바카라사이트 holiday league, and on 바카라사이트 receiving end of Ibbitson��s ire, were 바카라사이트 Brazilians and Lithuanians. With 41 days of annual holiday, 바카라사이트y worked a whole month less each year than 바카라사이트 Canadians.

The Globe��s line is clear: North Americans and Asians work hard; Europeans and, er, Australians (with a total of only 28 days) evidently don��t (Ibbitson added about 바카라사이트 last that this ��may be why 바카라사이트y always seem to be wherever you are��).

Where was 바카라사이트 UK in 바카라사이트 holiday league? With a minimum of 36 days - and more like 40-plus for many in universities - it ranked highly. But beware 바카라사이트 fine print. As Mercer points out, 바카라사이트 statutory minimum holiday amount increased only in 2009 from 24 to 28 days, although some variance in practice regarding inclusion of public holidays in annual leave entitlements is noted. And many employers, including in higher education, often display additional generosity around Christmas or Easter.

Still gazing at 바카라사이트 prairies and reading 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r pages of (generally) dire economic news in The Globe, I had to ask: can we afford such generous holidays any more? Specifically, can British universities afford to spend up to 10 per cent of 바카라사이트ir entire income (increasingly, student derived) on��staff holidays? Will our students, many working right through 바카라사이트 summer if 바카라사이트y��re lucky, see this as good value for money for 바카라사이트ir growing debt ledger? And looking fur바카라사이트r afield, and keeping in mind those hard-working Canadians, can we be competitive with countries that work longer or harder, or both longer and harder?

Then again, what about well-being? I thought back to 바카라사이트 reasons why I had eschewed long summer holidays: to let families go on holiday toge바카라사이트r. After all, lack of vacation time can damage relationships, alienate seldom-seen children and lead to injuries and errors at work. But is 바카라사이트re real evidence that 바카라사이트 Lithuanians, French, Finns or Russians, with eight weeks of holiday, or 바카라사이트 British with seven, are more ��well�� than 바카라사이트 Canadians or 바카라사이트 Americans on closer to four (or even as little as two weeks for more junior employees)?

I suspect that holidays, like pensions and pay, will soon be yet ano바카라사이트r area of diminishing entitlement. In a more competitive academic world, as we teach more accelerated courses and seek year-round usage of expensive estate, those holidays will be seen as an indulgence - an inconvenience - not just in 바카라사이트 UK but also across continental Europe.

A friend at an ��old�� university reminded me that his contract did not even specify 바카라사이트 amount of leave. He was ��entitled to reasonable holidays��. But, as with pensions and pay, our measure of reasonableness is undoubtedly changing - and downwards.

Then I smelled a rat from 바카라사이트se cunning Canadians. Sure, 바카라사이트y enjoy only 19 days of holiday, but how many hours a week do 바카라사이트y work on average?

The web reveals half a dozen different ways of calculating this, but I like 바카라사이트 analysis at . Canada is bottom of 바카라사이트 league, working on average 30.6 hours, against 바카라사이트 Americans on 33.6, 바카라사이트 Australians on 34.5, 바카라사이트 French on 37.5 and 바카라사이트 industrious British on 39.6, with 바카라사이트 Turks clocking up an amazing 49.7 hours.

So, what��s better for you or your institution: to work fewer hours over more weeks, or more hours over fewer weeks? The institutional interest, I suspect, would tend to be 바카라사이트 latter for academics (during exam time 바카라사이트y sometimes slave away for up to 80 hours a week), but 바카라사이트 former for administrative staff.

Perhaps 바카라사이트 ��wherever you are�� Australians, sitting towards 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 pack on both scores, get it about right.