Romania: Employees seek more vacation time for recovery

According to the HR & Payroll Pulse 2026 study by SD Worx, Romanian employees report needing an average of 10 consecutive days of vacation, including weekends, to fully recover their energy. This is shorter than the European average of 13 days. The study indicates that 52% of Romanian respondents believe a minimum of 7 to 14 days is necessary for recovery, while 15% require more than two weeks.

While Romanian employees currently receive an average of 24 days of paid leave per year, 64% of those surveyed believe an ideal annual leave should be at least 30 days. Data shows that only 57% of Romanian employees managed to use all their leave days in the last year, with nearly 28% failing to do so.

Under Romanian labor law, employees are entitled to a minimum of 20 working days of paid leave annually. Unused leave days can be carried over for up to 18 months. Financial compensation for unused leave is only permitted in the specific instance where an individual employment contract is terminated; as long as the employment relationship remains active, employees must take their leave rather than receiving payment in lieu.