Reyka Vodka Thinks You're So Overworked, It'll Pay You To Take Time Off

Data shows that most Americans are working more than other nations and seem to be afraid to make use of what little vacation time they have — which doesn't sit well with our Icelandic neighbors — and Reyka Vodka wants to do something about it.

Americans are one of the most overworked peoples in the world. According to statistics by the Organization for Economic Coordination and Development, Americans work more hours than most countries with an average of 1,767 hours in 2021, which is 435 hours more than German workers and 400 more than British workers. Americans are also the only industrialized nation that does not guarantee paid holidays or vacations, and even those that do have paid vacations aren't using them (via CEPR). The United States Travel Association says that a record number of paid vacation hours went unused in 2018, totaling more than 760 million hours.

To Iceland, this is not good news. They believe people all over the globe should embrace their national idea of the sólarfrí, or sun holiday. According to Lomography, a sólarfrí is an unexpected holiday when the weather is nice and a store or business may be closed. Icelandic vodka producers Reyka Vodka think that Americans should embrace this idea and they are willing to pay you to try it out yourself.

Reyka Vodka has announced on their Instagram that they would offer a sweepstakes for Americans to use some of their paid time off (PTO) on the Summer Solstice, June 21. In return, 50 winners would be given $100 to fund their sun drenched adventures. One lucky winner will also be chosen for a grand prize of two round-trip tickets to visit Iceland.

Spending time out in the sun while you can is an important concept for a country that sees a shortage of sunny days in the winter. According to Icewear, Iceland can see as little as four hours of sunlight per day during the winter. That's why Reyka Vodka wants you to take advantage of the sunny days while they're here.

"The summer solstice is an incredibly special day in Iceland, and we are delighted to bring the concept of sólarfrí to the states by encouraging Americans to take their well-deserved PTO and celebrate alongside us," said Mary-Jade Hynes, Brand Manager of Reyka Vodka, in a press release.

To enter, simply comment on Reyka Vodka's Instagram post from before June 21 with a commitment to take a sólarfrí on the day of the solstice.

Go ahead and take that day off, and be sure to spend it mixing some Reyka Vodka into a trendy Dirty Shirley, or Espresso Martini.