All work and no play?

There's a good reason why all those people in line with you at Disney World are speaking Italian, French, German or Japanese. Everyone, it seems, gets more time to play than American workers.

According to a 2007 study by the World Tourism Organization (published by Pearson Education, as Infoplease), workers in Italy average a whopping 42 days of vacation a year; the French get 37; Germans, 35; and the British, 28.

By comparison, U.S. workers average about 13 days of paid vacation time, and many don't even take their full allotment because of job pressures.

The main reason for the discrepancy is that most industrialized nations have vacation time mandated by law, while the United States leaves it to employers' discretion.

In the 1930s, when the idea of paid vacations originated, European unions pushed for more time off and American unions pushed for better pay, according to Orvar Lofgren, author of "On Holiday." In a global economy, the result is a vacation imbalance that leaves many American workers envious and many European expatriates employed by American companies in culture shock.

"Last summer was a nightmare," said Liliana De Kerorguen, executive director of global strategic supply-chain management for Merial, a veterinary pharmaceuticals company. Merial is jointly owned by the U.S. company Merck and the French company sanofi-aventis.

When she moved to the United States five years ago, De Kerorguen was an expatriate employed by the French side of the company, and she retained her six weeks of vacation time. When her work visa expired and she accepted a contract with the American side of the company, her vacation dropped to 15 holidays, plus six floating days.

"I liked my position. I wasn't sure what I'd do in France, since the company headquarters is here, and we like America," she said. "My husband also has a good job, and my daughters liked school here, so we decided to stay, but the loss of vacation time was difficult."

Previously, De Kerorguen took five of her vacation weeks to stay home with her daughters during their 10-week summer breaks.

"Last summer, it was a real puzzle, but we managed to schedule camps and travel to visit family for them. When we could be together, it was much easier and much less costly," she said.

Having fewer vacation days and traveling internationally about 45 percent of the time, De Kerorguen has had to forgo volunteering at her daughters' school and to curtail her children's activities because she isn't available to drive them.

"With more vacation, you have some time to volunteer, to help society, and I think you are a better worker. When you're relaxed, you take things differently," she said. "When I'm in my garden, I can think about how I might handle something differently at work. Vacation is good for everyone."

Worth the tradeoff?

Jan Christoph Wiedemann, manager of marketing and consulting at the German American Chamber of Commerce office in Atlanta, believes that everyone needs vacation time.

"You need at least two weeks to focus on something else other than your job, to think about your own life and what you want to do. Everything on top of that is a luxury," he said.

It was a luxury that Wiedemann was willing to trade — he received 30 vacation days instantly in his first job after graduating from Georg-August University of Göttingen — for a good career opportunity. He gets to introduce German companies to the U.S. market, use his English and gain international marketing skills.

Since his experience as an exchange student in Syracuse, N.Y., in 1994, his dream had been to work for a while in the United States.

"I only planned to stay one or two years, but then you get to know people and start building a social network," he said. "It's a lot of fun to work in Atlanta, and my job is very stimulating. If you really like your job, vacation is not as important."

Co-worker Stefanie Jehlitschka, who moved from Stuttgart to become the public relations manager at the German American Chamber of Commerce, said that accepting less time off was worth it. "I'm combining the best of both worlds. I still get to talk to people in German [there are about 1,200 German subsidiary companies in the Southeast] and live here," she said.

"I enjoy outdoor activities, so I find my peace on the weekends," she said. "I target natural places. Name any state park, and I'm there. Taking this job was the best decision ever."

Pressure to stay in the office

In Britain, workers start out with 20 paid vacation days; American workers often have to work a year to get any leave.

"It's not unusual for people to go on holiday for two weeks at a time in Europe. Even taking a week here is somewhat frowned on," said Steve Mearman, account executive with Nielsen Business Media. He moved from outside London to the United States four years ago, and, while the different attitude toward holidays took some getting used to, it was not a big factor in his decision.

"Salary and change of scenery were important to me. The weather in Atlanta lets people utilize their free time more effectively, and people do more big weekends," he said.

After four years with the company, he gets 18 vacation days, but he finds it hard to take a week off, except during the slow times of his trade show business. Still, he has been to the beach and back home and will take a honeymoon in the Dominican Republic this fall.

"Taking less vacation keeps you more focused, especially in sales," he added. "I like the weather and the quality of life here. The rents are cheaper, and cost of living is less."

The concept of vacation is very different between the United Kingdom and the United States, said Nick MacNab, financial adviser with Scott & Stringfellow Inc. and volunteer membership director for the British American Business Group in Atlanta. He and his family have spent time in both countries in the last 12 years.

"In the U.K., if you join a company, it's fairly typical to start with four weeks [of vacation], and that increases with time served, so that someone with 10 years often has six weeks' vacation, plus eight bank holidays," MacNab said. "That can be an adjustment for people who move here, but it doesn't really bother me."

He takes a couple of weeks off a year to travel with his family, and his British family members visit here.

"From my perspective, the quality of life here is higher in many ways. In England, the taxes, real estate and gasoline are higher. This is an easier place to live, with great climate and people, so vacation is not that big of an issue," he said.

Unused vacation days

MacNab noted that not all workers in the United Kingdom take their full allotments of time off, and that trend has been growing in the United States as well. According to a survey by Harris Interactive, 30 percent of employed adults gave up vacation time they had earned, resulting in a total of 415 million unused vacation days in 2004. Employees worry about job security or the stress of having to make up work when they come back. Even when they take time off, workers often stay plugged into the office through voice mail or e-mail.

With a new focus on healthier lifestyles and work/life balance, however, smart companies are realizing that exhausted workers are not productive workers.

"We're all working harder than ever, and we need to encourage people to take their vacation time," said Sandy Jess, director of human resources at Matrix Resources. "If they are going to perform at their best, they need to take a breather to stay energized and be as sharp as they can be."

They also need time to connect with family and friends and to have a little fun.

In the late 1990s, many companies, like Matrix, switched from designated numbers of sick days, company paid holidays and vacation days to a "bucket" of paid days off. New workers get 16 days in their first year, and the company adds a day with each year of service. Employees can use the days at their own discretion — for sickness, school performances or vacation trips — and managers have the flexibility of granting extra days in extenuating circumstances.

"Sixteen days is pretty generous for a new hire, but it helps us attract the best talent," Jess said.

As to whether the United States ever would mandate vacation time, most experts agree that isn't likely to happen. The idea of a free market is an entrenched part of our culture, and companies already are facing increasing costs in health care, technology and training.

"America is facing tremendous competition on the world market right now. I don't see anything being mandated anytime soon," Jess said.