More than half of employees believe a 7-14 day holiday is necessary to recover, while the ideal annual leave allowance would be 31 days
Employees in Romania believe they need, on average, ten consecutive days of holiday, including weekends, to fully recharge. This is below the European average of 13 days, according to the international HR & Payroll Pulse 2026 study conducted by SD Worx among 16,500 employees across 16 European countries, including almost 1,000 in Romania.
More than half of Romanian employees (52%) say that a holiday lasting between 7 and 14 days is the minimum period they need to fully recover. Almost one quarter (23%) believe that fewer than seven days are enough, while 15% need more than two weeks. One in ten employees is unable to estimate the necessary length.
Romanian employees would like six additional days of annual leave
Romanian employees currently receive an average of 24 days of paid annual leave. Ideally, within a realistic range for their jobs, they would like approximately 31 days – more than six additional days compared with their current entitlement.
Almost two thirds of respondents (64%) believe that an ideal annual leave allowance should amount to at least 30 days.
“The results show that recovery depends not only on the total number of annual leave days, but also on employees’ ability to use them in a way that meets their needs. A sufficiently long period in which to disconnect, combined with breaks spread throughout the year, can support well-being and concentration. For employers, the challenge is to offer flexibility while maintaining business continuity and a balanced workload across teams,” says Ciprian Chiorean, General Manager of SD Worx Romania.
Four in five employees must request annual leave in advance
Approximately 80% of Romanian employees must request annual leave before taking it. For these employees, the average lead time is 29 days, compared with the European average of 39 days. The remaining 20% say they do not have to request annual leave in advance.
“Planning ahead enables organisations to anticipate busy periods and distribute responsibilities more effectively. At the same time, the process must remain flexible enough for employees to take leave when they genuinely need to recover. Team dialogue and clear rules are essential to striking this balance,” adds Ciprian Chiorean.
More than a quarter of employees did not take all their annual leave
Only 57% of Romanian employees say they managed to take all their annual leave over the past year. Almost 28% did not, while 15% take a neutral position. At the same time, 54% believe they can take leave without creating additional pressure for themselves or their colleagues. For 21%, however, being away from work creates such pressure. Managers continue to play an important role: 45% of respondents feel encouraged by their manager to take annual leave regularly, while 26% do not perceive this support.
An organisational culture that supports recovery
The data show that having annual leave available does not automatically guarantee that it will be used. The way work is planned, teams’ ability to temporarily take over responsibilities and managers’ attitudes all shape employees’ actual experience.
Organisations can support recovery through clear rules, advance planning for busy periods, a balanced distribution of tasks and encouragement for employees to use their annual leave without feeling guilty.
About the international study
SD Worx, a leading European provider of HR and payroll services, supports organisations of all sizes in managing their HR and payroll challenges. To remain closely connected to the needs of employers and employees, SD Worx regularly conducts in-depth studies across Europe. The analysis of the latest HR & Payroll Pulse study provides organisations with valuable insights to refine their HR and payroll strategies and prepare them for the future. The study was conducted by the SD Worx Research Institute between 27 January and 20 February 2026 in 16 European countries (Belgium, Germany, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Croatia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, the United Kingdom and Sweden). A total of 5,936 HR decision-makers and 16,500 employees were surveyed. The results provide a representative picture of the labour market in each country.
