According to a survey conducted by Brand Expedia, 90 per cent of working Singaporeans feel they need more annual leave days.

They also found it hard to really take a break from work.

Singaporeans want more days off

The survey involved 11,000 full time working adults from 19 markets, including 300 Singaporeans.

Out of the 300, 88 per cent of respondents from Singapore felt they deserve more annual leave days, a rise from 76 percent in 2017.

The desire to take a break is so strong for some that they indicated a willingness to take a pay cut in return for an extra day off.

Vacation deprived

The survey also concluded Singapore as one of the most vacation deprived countries in the world in recent years.

Singapore ranked sixth among 19 surveyed areas in 2018, after India, South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia and France.

68 per cent Singaporeans felt they needed a holiday in 2018, a rise from 57 per cent in the previous year.

This sentiment was fuelled by reasons such as inability to get time off work (39 per cent), saving time for a longer holiday (30 per cent) and financial difficulties (22 per cent).

However, more than half of Singaporeans also tend to stay connected to work while away on vacation.

Almost eight out of 10 Singaporeans will check their emails or voicemail.

Three out of 10 felt the need to be available for their colleagues while they are on vacation.

Vacations improve workers' well-being and productivity

Having said that, taking a break is important for workers' well-being whether you go overseas or not.

According to the survey, about nine out of 10 Singaporeans felt that vacation helps to relieve work stress and anxiety while they can also bond with friends and family.

These respondents feel more recharged and feel they can perform better at work after.

If you run out of annual leave for this year to go on a vacation, you can explore things to do in Singapore too.

Here are some unsolicited suggestions:

For your consideration.

Top image by Min G via Unsplash