Since 2010, July and August have competed neck and neck for the honour of being the most popular month for professionals in Finland to escape the drudgery of everyday life for their summer holidays. Last year was the third year that August narrowly edged past June in popularity, according to new data from Statistics Finland. However for workers in Finland at least, nothing seems to beat a July summer vacation.
Last year 34 percent of workers took off for the summer in July, while 13 percent opted to wait until August. Some 11 percent took an early escape and holidayed in June.
There was little change in the numbers who bucked the trend and vacationed in May or September – just three percent of the employed workforce packed up their desks and set off during these months.
There has occasionally been a public debate about whether or not Finland should bring its summer vacation period in line with the rest of Europe, where most people vacation in August. Anu-Tuija Lehto, a lawyer with the largest trade union confederation SAK, said however, that August’s surge in popularity has mainly been driven by the weather rather than economic factors.
"August months have been sunny compared to June," she noted. Lehto said that another critical factor has been that students generally return to school in August.
"Many people want to be at home when their children go off to school. These [factors] have probably played a role in August having become a more desirable month," she added.
Workers soldier on in agriculture, construction and hospitality
There are distinct differences among economic sectors in terms of when workers go off on holiday, and these are mostly due to seasonal swings as well as historical reasons. Workers in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors are least likely to break during the summer months. For farmers, for example, this tends to be the season when they harvest their crops and sow fields anew. Other entrepreneurs in this sector also skimp on holiday time.
Construction workers also take fewer holidays in June and July than others. Although construction takes place year-round in Finland regardless of the weather, construction of buildings and roads is that much easier during the summer.
"We work when there’s work to be done. On the other hand, construction techniques have developed so that more work can be done more consistently during different seasons," Lehto pointed out.
In the hospitality industry, employees are less likely than the average worker to take their summer vacations in June and July. During this period hotel workers, cooks and waiters have their hands full, serving those who have the time to take a break.
"Seasons are also variable in the tourism industry. It’s clear that restaurants in Helsinki need to keep their doors open at different times from in Lapland, for example," the SAK spokesperson said.
Meanwhile regular scheduled downtime for machinery and equipment accounts for the relatively high frequency of vacation breaks during June and July by industrial workers – although those holiday periods are getting shorter.
It should come as no surprise that professionals in the education sector most often go off on holiday in June and especially in July, when schools and day care centres close their doors. Up to three-quarters of teachers and others working in education took their holidays in July in 2016.
Vacation length varies by weeks
In the public sector, minimum holiday lengths are regulated by law. State and municipal officials are entitled to up to 38 days annually – although this entitlement comes after 15 years on the job.
Although many believe that teachers have the longest vacations, no one profession can be said to enjoy the longest summer break. The fact is that the individuals with the longest working careers have the most generous vacation entitlements.
"In the state and municipal sector, lower salaries have been offset by longer holidays," Lehto explained.
In many sectors, labour contracts allow for vacation allowances to be traded for more time off, which can extend vacation times even further – by up to a week or even two.
"In principle, it is forbidden if the contract does not provide for it. However it’s hardly likely that anyone will ask if someone wants to swap vacation money for time off," Lehto noted.
