Japanese Employees Aren't Happy About Their Upcoming 10-Day Holiday, Here's Why

Everybody knows that Japan is a very busy nation. The country has some of the longest working hours in the world, with nearly one out of four companies requiring employees to work over 80 hours of overtime a month.

Furthermore, a 2017 survey by Expedia Japan found employees only used about 50% of their vacation days, and 63% felt guilty for taking paid leave.

That may explain why so many Japanese people are upset about the prospect of a 10-day holiday, which is taking place later in April 2019. The extended break begins in Japan on 27th April 2019, which honours the emperor’s abdication from the throne, before coinciding with the traditional “Golden Week” holiday in early May.

According to them, 10 days is an unprecedented amount of break for a society that spends most of their time working.

 

Not sure what to do

Local publication Asahi Shumbun’s latest survey found that 45% of Japanese people “felt unhappy” about the extended vacation, with only 35% admitting they “felt happy” to take the break. Part of that is a result of people being on non-regular contractors, as many worried they stand to lose income over the holidays.

Some parents in the service sector are also worried about finding after-school carers and nurseries that are open for their kids. But most people just have no idea what to do with their time off.

“To be honest, I don’t know how to spend the time when we are suddenly given 10 days of holidays,” said 31-year-old finance worker Seishu Sato. “If you want to go travelling, it’s going to be crowded everywhere and tour costs have surged… I might end up staying at my parents’ place.”

 

Getting used to it

It seems that Japanese workers may have to get more comfortable with the idea of a holiday, since there’s a new law that will take effect in April 2019. This law will require employees who are due 10 days or more of paid vacation to take at least five days off a year.

Head of Expedia Japan, Keizo Ishii said that while this is a step towards addressing the problems of Japan’s intensive working culture, the upcoming break at the end of April is not helping the guilt workers feel for taking leave.

“The revised law may help Japanese workers take more paid holidays, at least on the surface, but many may feel awkward taking more days off since the government decided to create a 10-day Golden Week holiday in late April and early May,” he said. “We have to change the mentality of feeling guilty for taking days off.”

 

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Source: Vice

 

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