Workers in Croatia receive an average of 25 days of annual leave, compared to 21 days in Bosnia and Herzegovina and 20 in North Macedonia, according to a survey conducted by the employment portal MojPosao across the three countries.
The survey included over 2,500 respondents.
Results show that state-owned companies offer the most generous holiday entitlements. In Croatia, employees in such companies receive an average of 28.6 days, in BiH 27.6, and in North Macedonia 22 days.
Private companies under foreign ownership offer, on average, 25.4 days of leave in Croatia, 22.8 in BiH, and 21.1 in North Macedonia.
Employees in privately owned domestic companies often receive less than the legally mandated minimum of 20 working days, which applies in all three countries. In BiH, the average in these companies is 18.9 days, in North Macedonia 19.4, and in Croatia 22.7 days.
The largest differences were recorded in Croatia, where large companies and public institutions with more than 200 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, medium-sized 21.5, and small companies 18.7 days.
Ideal Leave: 31 Days
In Croatia, 63% of respondents said they would like to have more time off. Similar sentiment was recorded in BiH (58%) and North Macedonia (57%).
When asked what they considered the ideal number of annual leave days, Croatian workers most often cited 31 days. In BiH and North Macedonia, 28 days was seen as optimal for maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Holiday Bonus Expectations: €500
The issue of holiday bonuses regularly comes up during the summer period. A supplementary survey conducted among over 500 workers in Croatia showed that in June, 55% expected their employer to pay them a holiday bonus, with the most frequently mentioned preferred amount being around €500.
Data collected in July shows that 48% of employees received a holiday bonus. Of those, the largest share (24%) received between €250 and €500. Another 11% received between €150 and €250, while 8% received less than €150. Only 5% reported receiving more than €500.