Croatia adds extra vacation days for high‑performing civil servants amid low rest satisfaction

A government agreement signed by Labour Minister Alen Ružić and civil‑service unions will grant additional paid leave to top‑performing state employees: five extra days for "excellent" work, four for "very successful" and three for "successful" performance. The baseline entitlement remains 20 days, with seniority and other criteria adding up to a typical total of 25‑30 days; the new provisions allow some civil servants to reach up to 35 days a year.

A recent survey of workers conducted by portalPosao.hr found that only seven percent of respondents feel fully rested after their annual leave. Most employees have between 20 and 25 days of vacation (72 %), while about one‑fifth enjoy 26‑30 days and a small minority (7 %) have more than 30 days. Just over half can partially choose their vacation dates, 28 % can decide fully, and one in five have no choice. Although many associate holidays with the summer months, roughly half do not use the entire allotted period.