World’s No. 1: 50% of Taiwanese can’t relax on vacation — still thinking about work even abroad

According to Expedia, over half of the people in Taiwan don’t feel guilty about taking time off because it’s a right they deserve. (Image / Expedia)

Taiwan’s annual leave utilization rate isn’t very high — only slightly better than Japan and South Korea. (Image / Expedia)

However, Taiwanese rank first in the world for handling work during vacations, with about half having worked while on holiday. (Image / Expedia)

How long has it been since you had a proper vacation? If you still have to deal with work when you’re abroad, don’t think you’re alone. Statistics show that nearly half of Taiwanese can’t fully disconnect from work even when they’re overseas on holiday.

According to leading online travel site Expedia.com.tw

This survey also shows that most people often fail to use up their annual leave. On average, citizens have 14 days of paid annual leave per year, but only take 10 days off, resulting in a leave utilization rate of 70%. This means over 44 million paid leave days remain unused. However, compared to other Asian countries, respondents in Japan and South Korea have an average of about 15 to 20 paid leave days per year, but they only take 10 days off, with a leave utilization rate of just 50% to 60%. Only 30% to 50% of respondents in those countries actually use up all their paid leave. In comparison, Taiwanese people have a slightly higher rate of taking time off, and nearly 60% say they do not feel guilty about taking paid leave, as taking a vacation is their right.

In fact, work and rest should be balanced, and appropriate relaxation can also help improve work performance. There is only one week left this year, and if you haven’t used up your annual leave yet, why not give yourself a chance to de-stress and plan a short trip where you don’t have to deal with work, in order to recharge for the year ahead.