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Letter to the editor

Colombia tops world in public holidays

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published August 2, 2007

BOGOTA, Colombia - Looking to get more time off? Move to Colombia.

Renowned for its high murder rate, this Andean nation also leads the world in public holidays, with 18 each year.

Second-place Slovenia has 16, while Slovakia, Cyprus and Chile have 15 each, says a study by Mercer Human Resource Consulting, which advises businesses in 42 countries. The United States has 10 federal holidays.

As overworked Americans bemoan their shrinking leisure time, a month rarely passes in Colombia without a three-day weekend.

Most of the holidays - mandatory for both public and private-sector employees - pay homage to Roman Catholic saints.

Most Colombians are blissfully ignorant of which saint allows them to pack their car trunks for the beach or mountains for yet another "puente," Spanish for "bridge" and Colombian for three-day weekend.

Every June, which can cram in as many as three "puentes" depending on the year, factory and business output ebbs while workers continue to collect their regular pay.

And while three-day weekends may be great breathers for fatigued office workers, they are no substitute for long vacations.

For that, consider Finland or France, which according to Mercer lead the world with 30 paid vacation days a year.

In that department, Colombia doesn't rate. It has just 15.

U.S. law does not require paid vacation days for employees.

[Last modified August 2, 2007, 01:47:39]