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Nearly a quarter of American workers didn’t take any of their vacation days this year, says new survey
Going on vacation is a great way for workers to decompress from their busy schedules, but some don’t feel comfortable taking even a few days off, according to a new report from FlexJobs.
Though the majority have access to PTO, the report found that 23% of employees didn’t take a single vacation day in the past year, based on a survey of over 3,000 U.S. workers.
There are a few reasons why workers may be reluctant to take time off, according to FlexJobs career expert Keith Spencer.
Workload was a major concern for many employees: 43% felt that they had too much work to justify taking vacation, while 30% worried about falling behind, according to the survey.
“I think a lot of teams are being asked to do more with less, so there might just be kind of a lack of coverage if your team is understaffed,” Spencer says. “People might be feeling sort of guilty about leaving their team with a burden while they’re gone.”
Team culture can also play a role, according to Spencer: 29% of workers feel guilty or “pressured to appear committed” at their jobs, which may lead them to avoid taking PTO. Moreover, 25% of workers said that their manager would likely respond in a “discouraging” manner if they asked to take a full week off.
“You might be getting negative signals from your manager or leadership in general,” Spencer says. “When you request time off, their nonverbals might make it seem like it’s kind of a pain and not really accepted.”
Over one third of employees feel that they simply don’t have enough PTO to take vacation, the survey found.
Still, even workers with unlimited PTO don’t always use it due to “unclear expectations,” according to Spencer: Workers are left wondering, “Well, is it really unlimited? When am I allowed to take it?” he says.
The benefits of taking PTO
Taking time off can actually make you a better worker, Spencer says.
“People who are getting enough rest are more focused and more creative in their work. They tend to be more resilient when challenges do arise,” he says.
Conversely, if workers don’t take time to recharge and decompress, they may be at a greater risk for burnout.
“You see stress levels rise, you see an overall reduced mental well-being, you have lower engagement, lower morale,” he says.
Spencer encourages workers to “advocate for themselves” when it comes to using PTO. Employees have the right to take advantage of their workplace benefits, he says.
“Your PTO is part of your compensation package. It’s not a favor your organization is doing for you,” he says. “You should be willing to advocate for that time you need off, that time you need to rest.”
Spencer advises employees to “communicate clearly and in advance” when they’re planning to take time off.
If your manager isn’t pro-PTO, he suggests framing your vacation time in terms of output and productivity, he says.
“If your PTO is coming after a really intense time period in your year, then you could say, ‘Hey, I really think I need to recharge a bit before we jump into the next thing,’” he says.
Even if your company doesn’t encourage time off, Spencer encourages workers to “confidently model healthy usage of PTO.” It might even have a positive effect on your workplace culture, he says.
“It’s definitely clear that more rest is not just a benefit to your team, it’s a benefit to your entire organization,” he says.
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