Dive Brief:
- While for many the word vacation conjures up visions of sitting on a beach or touring a European city, in the past 16 years American workers are taking less paid vacation time off, according to Zane Benefits' blog.
- Citing a recent survey from Project: Time Off, the article reports that from 1970's through 2000, Americans enjoyed about 20 vacation days annually. Today, that number has dropped to 16.2 days and likely is having having a negative impact on productivity.
- Why the drop? Why the reluctance to use what they earned? The poll found people fear a build-up of work while gone, vacation costs they can't afford, and feeling as if the company can't function without them as a few popular rationalizations. They also blame employers as well, with 80% of employees reporting they would feel more comfortable using vacation time if encouraged by managers.
Dive Insight:
According to Project: Time Off, this plummeting data point might be called "America's Lost Week." All told, 55% percent of Americans had unused vacation days and in 2015 that translated into 658 million unused vacation days — Project: Time Off's highest estimate ever.
Claire Bissot, managing director of CBIZ, a financial resource for employee business services, told Zane Benefits blog that providing paid vacation time is critical to any benefits package because workers need to recharge — whether they travel the globe or relax on the couch to binge watch the TV. It's good for both employer and employee.
Zane Benefits suggests simple solutions, mainly having managers encourage workers to use their vacation time. Employers lose if employees hoard vacation days (and roll them over for large payouts), and if employees are not recharged enough to be engaged, productive and rested on the job.