ZAGREB, 23 July (Hina) - Croatian workers have an average of 25 days of annual leave, employees in Bosnia and Herzegovina have 21 days, and those in North Macedonia 20, according to a survey conducted by the employment portal MojPosao in the three countries.
The survey included over 2,500 respondents.
The results showed that, in all three countries, state-owned companies offer the most generous holiday entitlements. In Croatia, workers in them receive an average of 28.6 days off, in BiH 27.6 days, and in North Macedonia 22 days.
Private companies under foreign ownership offer, on average, 25.4 days of leave in Croatia, 22.8 days in BiH, and 21.1 days in North Macedonia.
Employees in privately owned domestic companies often receive less than the legal minimum leave, even though the minimum is set at 20 working days in all three countries. In BiH, employees in such companies receive an average of 18.9 days off, in North Macedonia 19.4 days, and in Croatia 22.7 days.
The most significant differences were recorded in Croatia, where large companies and public institutions with 200 or more employees offer an average of 26.5 days of annual leave. Medium-sized companies (20-199 employees) provide 24.8 days, while the smallest organisations (fewer than 20 employees) offer 22 days on average.
In North Macedonia, large companies provide 21 days of leave, medium-sized ones 20.2 days, and small firms 19.5 days. In BiH, large companies offer an average of 22.1 days of annual leave, medium-sized ones 21.5 days, and small companies 18.7 days.
Ideal annual leave: 31 days
In Croatia, 63% of employees would like to have more time off. The sentiment is similar in BiH (58%) and North Macedonia (57%).
When asked what they would consider the ideal amount of annual leave, Croatian workers most frequently cited 31 days. Workers in BiH and North Macedonia believe that 28 days would be optimal to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Holiday bonus expectations: €500
In addition to the topic of annual leave, the question of holiday bonuses regularly comes up during the summer period. A supplementary survey was conducted among more than 500 employees in Croatia.
In June, 55% of workers expected their employer to pay them a holiday bonus, with the most commonly mentioned desired amount being around €500.
Data collected in July shows that 48% of employees received a holiday bonus. Of that number, the largest share (24%) received between €250 and €500. Another 11% received between €150 and €250, while 8% received less than €150. Only 5% of respondents reported receiving more than €500.
