India is among the higher leave-entitlement markets in APAC. However, analysis of Deel platform data shows Indian workers use a smaller share of their annual leave than peers in Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, and Japan.
While leave is available, Indian workers appear more cautious in how they use it — with lower rates of full leave utilisation and a stronger tendency to spread shorter breaks across the year.
The analysis of over 4,500 full-time workers on Deel APAC contracts found:
- Despite being among the higher leave-entitlement markets in APAC, Indian workers used a relatively smaller share of their leave entitlement in 2025 than workers in Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, or Japan.
- The median leave taken by Indian workers in 2025 was 12 days.
- Only 17.2% of Indian workers used 100% of their leave, compared with 57.2% in Singapore, 53.3% in South Korea, 50.8% in Malaysia, 42.9% in Hong Kong, and 35.9% in Japan. Just 29.9% of Indian workers used at least 80% of their leave entitlement, the lowest rate across major APAC markets analysed.
- India recorded the highest share of short-duration leaves. Among multi-day vacation leave requests (2 days or longer), 48.4% were exactly 2-day breaks.
The data points to a distinct leave pattern in India, where workers are more likely to take shorter breaks rather than extended holidays. This may reflect a more measured approach to time off, with employees spreading leave across the year instead of using it in longer stretches.
Rakesh Gaur, Head of Sales for India at Deel, said, “India’s leave data suggests employees are not stepping away from work less often; they are more selective about how they use time off. That cautious approach may reflect workload pressures, cultural habits, or a tendency to save leave for important periods like festivals or family events. The bigger question for employers is whether underused leave reflects productivity, or signals burnout, pressure, and workplace cultures where employees don’t feel comfortable fully switching off.”
Flexible leave policies also showed stronger time-off usage in India. Employees on flexible leave arrangements took more time off than those on fixed leave policies, suggesting that policy structure may influence behaviour as much as workplace culture.