Spanish workers need nearly a month of vacation for full recovery, study finds

A study commissioned by HR‑payroll consultancy SD Worx analyzed how many days off employees need to completely disconnect and return to work refreshed. The research, covering several European labour markets, identified 27.1 days as the optimal vacation period for workers in Spain – the longest requirement among the countries surveyed. By contrast, the study measured 8.5 days in the United Kingdom, 12.9 days in France and 14.7 days in Germany.

The report argues that such an extended break is essential for physical and mental recovery and suggests that companies should complement vacation time with year‑round wellbeing measures, flexible working arrangements, and better workload planning to avoid excessive stress before and after holidays.