Apparently Americans Are Too Scared to Take Vacations

When it comes to work/life balance, Americans are notoriously decades behind the rest of the world.

But, as it turns out, the punishment is occasionally self-imposed. According to a Glassdoor survey of 2,300 workers who receive paid vacation, employees only use 51% of their eligible paid time off. Additionally, 61% reported working while on vacation, and one in five said their bosses contacted them about work-related matters while they were trying to take some time away.

For many employees, it’s the fear of what they may come back to that stops them from asking for time off. Roughly 40% of workers dread the mountains of work they’d come back to post-vacation, and 35% believe that no one else is capable of doing their job for them. That’s part of the “work martyr” complex, whereby people (specifically Americans) believe that being a good employee means making yourself available to your boss 24/7.

For some, it’s not the fear of too much work that holds them back, but the fear that the work may be taken away from them. According to that Glassdoor study, some 28% of workers said they fear simply “getting behind” while 17% said they’re scared of actually losing their jobs. Another 19% said they don’t take their time off in the hopes of gaining an edge on their competition, while 13% are just so competitive that they want to outperform everyone else.

And, while it’s true that Americans are faced with shaky-at-best job security rates, what many who have the luxury of paid time off don’t realize or take into account is that, in a country where paid vacation and sick days are a privilege instead of a right, deciding to skip the vacation means depriving yourself of part of your compensation package. By not taking half of that paid time off, you’re actually leaving an average of $1,300 on the table.

So go ahead and enjoy yourself if you are able to, because for many Americans the idea of being able to take a vacation without worrying about that next paycheck is nothing more than a pipe dream. And if you’re not going to enjoy your time off, feel free to send it our way. We’d be happy to take that vacation to the Caribbean for you.

[Pic via Flickr - Alan Cleaver]