Nearly one in four American workers didn't take a single vacation day last year, according to a new survey that reveals a troubling trend of employees forgoing their earned benefits.
The FlexJobs survey of more than 3,000 workers found that while 82% of employees have paid time off, many are too afraid to use it. Heavy workloads emerged as the biggest barrier, with 43% of respondents saying their workload is too heavy to justify even a single day away.
Experts say true support for time off comes from company culture, not just policies on paper, emphasizing the importance of researching a company's work-life balance before accepting a position.
Fear and guilt keep workers at their desks
The survey revealed several concerning reasons why employees avoid taking time off:
- 43% say their workload is too heavy to justify time away
- 34% don't have enough paid time off
- 30% fear falling behind
- 29% feel guilty or pressured to appear committed
- 19% say their employer doesn't clearly support taking time off
Nearly half of workers took just one to 10 days off all year, and a quarter say their manager would discourage them from taking a full week away.
Unlimited PTO may not be the perk it seems
Companies increasingly offer unlimited paid time off as an employee benefit, but the survey found this policy may backfire. Workers with unlimited PTO policies often take fewer days off than those with traditional vacation plans.
The survey also revealed different PTO structures across workplaces:
- 42% of workers have accrued PTO, earning time off over time
- 17% have a fixed number of days off
- 12% follow a use-it-or-lose-it policy, where days expire annually
- 11% have unlimited PTO
How to find employers that support time off
Experts recommend looking for clear and transparent PTO policies when job hunting. Companies that value employee well-being make it easy to understand how time off works, while vague phrases like "generous vacation benefits" can be red flags.
Pay attention to how leadership talks about work-life balance. Organizations where leaders actively promote using vacation days and model that behavior themselves typically create healthier workplace cultures around time off.
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