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Americans are not good at taking vacations.
About 62% of workers says have A job with paid time off (vacation or sick) is “extremely important” to them, more important than benefits like health insurance, 401(k) plans or paid parental leave, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center report . The Pew Research Center found that 46% of people don’t take advantage of all their breaks.
“If you never take a vacation or a break, you’re not respecting how humans are created and what we need to stay active,” says time management coach Elizabeth Grace Saunders. “We are biological creatures. Human beings. We are not machines,” she added.
The number of vacation days a worker receives typically depends on a variety of factors, such as company tenure, earnings, and industry.
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For example, on average, private sector employers 11 days of vacation provided After one year of service; 15 days after five years; 18 days after 10 years; 20 days after 20 years based on 2023 data U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
However, 32% of employees said they did not use their vacation time Don’t turn over According to a 2022 Qualtrics poll, 28% of people don’t get paid for unused days.
The United States is the only developed country unnecessary According to a 2019 report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research, workers have access to paid leave.
About 21% of Americans work in the private sector not understand According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 20% of people do not receive paid time off.
Agency data shows that people who work in the service industry, earn lower wages, hold part-time or non-union jobs, or work for smaller companies are much less likely to get these positions.
Here’s how to maximize your vacation time, whether paid or unpaid, to increase efficiency and overall quality, according to experts.
“Play a little Tetris”
Experts say combining vacation time with other guaranteed breaks can help extend your time off without sacrificing extra PTO.
In other words: Take advantage of your weekends and paid vacation time.
For example, July 4th falls on a Thursday this year. Enjoy a four-day weekend with just one day off (Friday, July 5).
“Play a little Tetris” on your calendar, Sanders says.
However, this approach often comes with trade-offs.
For example, traveling during the holidays or flying on weekends like Friday and Sunday are typically busier and more expensive, said Sally French, travel expert at NerdWallet.
Leverage business travel, remote work
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French said workers may be able to book business travel while on leave.
French explains that if your company sends you to another state for a conference during part of the week, you might take a day off and spend an extra day in the destination city.
If weekends are added in, workers may not even need to use any paid time off, she said. The company may also cover some costs, such as airfare, she added.
Additionally, French said, those who work remotely or are only in the office part-time may be able to take advantage of these arrangements and get away without taking time off. (There’s even a practice, especially among younger workers, called “quiet vacations,” in which workers work without PTO Ask for leave secretly.
She said hotels have embraced the trend during the Covid-19 pandemic by offering amenities such as video call rooms and co-working spaces free of charge to guests.
“Even in 2024, this trend is actually not gone,” she said.
Employees with this flexibility can also more easily take advantage of cheaper days to travel, such as midweek flights, she added.
Adjust PTO by “measurement”
Scheduling vacation time throughout the year in a “measured” manner can help prevent burnout, Saunders said.
She recommends taking at least one day off every month—or at least every few months—even if it’s just a staycation.
People who don’t go on vacation until they “feel really exhausted” will come to dislike work and need two to three days off to feel “normal” again, she said.
Sanders said workers who don’t have many days off (such as 10 total days) might consider taking a longer trip that requires four or five PTO days and bundling the remaining days with paid time off.
Enhance the “refreshing” feeling
Saunders said if people strategically take a few days off at different times during their busy workdays, they may find PTO more “refreshing.”
For example, she says, taking a break during a busy period can feel more “refreshing” than taking a break when it’s cold.
Of course, people may not be able to leave at critical times, or there may be no one to delegate work to while they are gone; for these people, taking a break during the cold period may be more beneficial to avoid work stress while on vacation.
Likewise, French says it can be helpful to give yourself an extra day before returning to work (say, coming back on Saturday instead of Sunday) to take care of things like laundry.
That buffer may provide greater peace of mind, she said.
Give yourself an “acceptable minimum”
Many people may avoid taking a vacation due to feelings of guilt.
For example, according to the Pew Research Center, 43% of Americans don’t use all their PTO because they feel bad about coworkers taking on extra work.
Additionally, some studies show that employees who receive “unlimited” PTO tend to take less vacation time than those with fixed limits.
Saunders said employees who find it difficult to take time off should set a personal “acceptable minimum” – for example, ensuring they take at least 15 days off per year.
Experts recommend trying to completely unplug while on vacation.
Post an “out of office” message, turn off email notifications, and don’t answer work calls; if absolutely necessary, try limiting work to one hour a day, Sanders says.
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