( CNN ) -- The United States has been called the `` no-vacation nation , '' and looking at the table above , it 's not hard to see why . Many other countries allow for much more vacation time , according to a 2009 survey by Mercer , a human resources consulting firm . The numbers above reflect the minimum vacation days for an employee who works five days a week and has 10 years of service with a company . But the United States comes with an asterisk . That 's because the U.S. -- unlike the other countries on the list -- lacks a federal law that mandates vacation time . For comparison purposes , Mercer listed the `` typical '' amount of days off that large U.S. companies give their 10-year employees : 15 paid vacation days and 10 public holidays ( 25 total ) . That 's a far cry from Brazil and Lithuania , which top the list with 41 total days off . Finland , France and Russia offer a minimum of 40 days off . India and China are the only countries in the survey that typically have fewer paid vacation days than the U.S. , but India makes up for it with 16 public holidays -- the most in the survey along with Japan . More Country Comparisons : Who requires the most education ? Who 's got the highest ( and lowest ) unemployment rates ?
The United States , unlike many other countries , does not have a law that mandates vacation time . Even the 'typical ' amount of vacation is far less than that in other countries surveyed . at least 40 days employees in The United States , France , Lithuania , Lithuania and Russia get at least 40 days off .