Here I'm enjoying some of my long Swedish holiday. Actually, it was Sunday and I had worked in the morning to finish a homework assignment.
Living to work, working to live. These are the two flip sides of earning your income. In my homeland of the US, I know far too many people who live to work. I saw way too many people in the office at the end of the year with days and weeks of vacation left, even though most only had a miserly two-week total in the first place. Meanwhile in my adopted land, the entire country takes off for four, five or six weeks at the same time in July. And that doesn’t stop people from taking additional holidays during the year.
As a big fan of taking as many vacations as possible, I am happy to adapt to the Swedish system. That said, the American work ethic side of me often wonders how any work gets done here. And while that American in me may be a tad unhealthy, it does mean that I tend to get the job done even with all the holidays – working the evenings and weekends is no problem.
Given all this, I was completely amused by the release of a Europen Union report that found that Swedes get the longest holidays of any country in Europe. On the average, Swedes have 33 days of annual leave while the average in Europe is 25.2. Going one step further, Swedes also have one of the shortest working weeks in Europe, averaging out at a 37.5 hour work week.
Obviously, it’s good to live and work in Sweden. Now I just need to lose that demon work ethic in me so I can more fully enjoy my holidays.
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I am an oddity at work. While my co-workers take off for 3-6 weeks every summer, I elect to work during the summer. When I go on a long vacation, naturally my first choice is the US. But I don’t want to leave this beautiful country in the summer – this is what makes those long, dark winters bearable! Leave this amazing light and birds singing at 3:00 am?
It is peaceful working during the summer. On a few rare occasions this year, I was the only person in the office. Many days we were just two. You get a lot of work done! And you can sneak off a little early and enjoy the summer in your backyard. I almost feel like I’m on vacation anyway because the hustle and bustle of the office is gone!
And while you’re on the subject of the amount of time Swedes work, don’t forget the extremely advantageous maternity/paternity leave in Sweden. 18 months paid leave is a luxury that my American friends simply can’t believe. And fathers are encouraged to take at least half! And as long as you have children under the age of 7 (I think) you are entitled by law to work only part-time if you so desire.
You can also take off in order to study, without fear of losing your job.
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