"LAZY" WORKERS?

"Only two thirds of the world's workers take all their holidays - and the most likely to use them are the French with 89 per cent taking all their entitlement, according to a Reuters/Ipsos survey of 12,5000 people in 24 countries. Second were Argentineans at 80 per cent, then Hungarians at 78 per cent, and the British and Spanish at 77 per cent. Those least likely to use all their holidays were the Japanese, with only 33 per cent taking all the time given. Australians and South Africans followed at 47 per cent, South Koreans at 53 per cent and those in the United States at 57 per cent."There are lots of reasons why people don't use up vacation days but most often it's because they feel obligated to their work and put it over other important things, including their own health and welfare," said John Wright, of Ipsos. "Workers should remember that there are graveyards full of indispensable people." (Times, 7 August) RD