Take Paid Time-Off? Not Us, 1-In-4 Workers Tell Survey

BOULDER CO – Nearly a quarter of U.S. workers, roughly one every in four employees, declined to take a paid time-off day during the past year, according to an updated report issued by FlexJobs.

No vacation. No sick days. Apparently not even a family member’s birthday, much less their own.

Representatives of the Colorado-based company interviewed slightly more than 3,000 survey respondents. Their results indicated that, although paid time-off was available, about 23 percent didn’t use it.

Their stated reasons? Those surveyed say they avoided taking time off due to “heavy workloads, manager expectations, and unsupportive company cultures,” the report indicates.

Additionally, nearly half (42%) took only 1 to 10 days off. Twenty-five percent claim their manager would discourage them from taking a full week away.

FlexJobs is a “job board” that offers prospective employment candidates opportunities to find professional-level, high-quality remote and hybrid jobs at one online site, it says.

Access to PTO; Hesitant to Use It

A seeming majority of those surveyed acknowledged they have access to paid time-off, but some say they hesitate to step away from work for more than a few days at a time.

Toni Frana, a career expert at FlexJobs, observes that “most employees have some form of paid time-off. But there’s a big difference between a company that offers this benefit, and one that actually encourages workers to use it,” Frana adds.

“Without a company culture that supports rest,” Frana explains, “many workers feel they can’t really step away without risking their professional reputation.”

In the survey, top reasons employees avoid taking time off include:

• 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; and
• 19% say their employer doesn’t clearly support taking time-off.

Photo by Shalev Cohen on Unsplash, used by Travels With The Post under license

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