Vacation instead of salary: Germans demand more days off!

Vacation instead of salary: Germans demand more days off!

More and more Germans are longing for vacation instead of a higher salary. A current survey by the travel portal HolidayCheck shows that the desire for relaxation and leisure is becoming the top priority for many employees. At the beginning of the year, many employees plan their vacation in order to make the most of the maximum days off. Ludmilla Franz from HolidayCheck reports in her analysis that 88 percent of the 1,000 working Germans surveyed consider the importance of vacation days to be important or very important. These findings confirm the increasing desire for more leisure time in today's working world.

Of those surveyed, 64 percent already have 26 to 30 days of vacation per year, but it still shows that many would like more free time. 45 percent say they would like a little more vacation, while 12 percent would even like to have significantly more days off. What is particularly noticeable is the willingness to accept a lower salary for additional vacation days - 60 percent of those surveyed are open to this option. Of these, 11 percent would definitely want to earn less in order to enjoy more relaxation time.

Vacation planning and recovery effect

A particularly interesting result of the survey is that over 30 percent of those surveyed have already taken unpaid time off. At the same time, 77 percent use their vacation primarily to travel in order to experience maximum relaxation. However, only 59 percent report feeling well or very well recovered after their vacation. 30 percent say they have hardly felt any recovery effect, while 11 percent feel little or not at all recovered. This makes it clear that participation in the world of work continues in many cases even during vacation time.

The survey found that 57 percent of respondents work during their vacation, often through contact with colleagues and superiors. However, according to the Federal Holiday Act, this is prohibited. The desire for a clear separation between work and leisure time is therefore pronounced. Employees need significantly more freedom in order to be able to really enjoy their relaxation time without being burdened by work obligations.

Vacation planning for Germans

Another aspect of HolidayCheck's survey is the way Germans plan their vacation. The majority of respondents organize their main vacation three to nine months in advance. Summer trips in particular are often booked in December. 40 percent of respondents prefer to plan their vacation outside of peak season to avoid crowded vacation destinations. For around a quarter of those surveyed, vacation planning is tied to school holidays, be it because of their own children or their partner. Only one in seven Germans spontaneously decides to go on holiday, although spontaneous decisions are particularly common on short trips.

Overall, the survey shows that Germans are looking for new ways to spend their recovery time. While traditionally longer vacation blocks are becoming less important, many people want flexible and needs-based breaks. Employers are required to adapt to this new culture of relaxation by offering employees the freedom to make decisions and enabling a clearer separation between professional and private life.