Dive Brief:
- One-third of professional workers in the U.S. said they don't have enough vacation time or don't like their vacation policy, but in many cases, they have only themselves to blame, according to a new survey from staffing firm Accountemps.
- For example, a decent number of workers (41%) say they have skipped vacations (or even taken fewer days off) out of fear that their work would pile up while gone. Another 41% check in with the office at least once or twice a week while away (36% of employees ages 18 to 34 check in at least once or twice a day), and 35% percent took fewer or no days off because they worried about the effect it would have on co-workers.
- Gender-wise, 40% of women said they don't have enough vacation time, compared to 26% of men who agree with that feeling.
Dive Insight:
Complaining about not having enough vacation time but then finding excuses for not taking what you do have is a classic American conundrum, according to study after study.
Bill Driscoll, district president for Accountemps, notes that many factors – including 24/7 email access via smartphones and the blurring line between work and personal time – make the idea of vacation so stressful. HR and business line managers must lead by example. If those two groups don't use their time off, it's likely that team members will not either, which will inevitably lead to burnout.
Within the survey results, one interesting data point is that 47% of those ages 18-34 say they plan to take more vacation days this summer, compared to 25% of those ages 35-54 and 17% ages 55 and older. Those numbers may mean younger workers have not been taking their days off (and older workers are closer to using their allotment), or that older workers feel less confident in their work situations.
Either way, it's a massive gap between the youngest and the oldest worker on that specific point. Looks like a place for HR leaders to focus as they encourage people to enjoy their time off.