August is the official vacation month in the United States. And although Instagram gives us the impression that everyone is traveling this summer, it’s not quite like that. It’s alarming how few vacation days Americans take.
According to a report from The Washington Post, American workers are taking fewer vacation days than ever.
Official data confirms this: according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the percentage of the workforce taking vacation in a given week has dropped from 3.3% in 1980 to 1.7% today.
Older and more educated workers are more likely to take vacations. In contrast, blue-collar workers – in construction, manufacturing, and agriculture – are less likely to take time off. However, workers in the entertainment and recreation sector, typically a low-paying industry that includes restaurants and hotels, are only surpassed by educators in terms of time off.
What is leading to the disappearance of vacations?
One hypothesis is that some workers fear for their job security and do not want to appear dispensable. Additionally, in American labor regulations, vacation time is often included in the same classification as paid time off (PTO), which leads many employees to leave their vacation days unused in case they need them in an emergency.
It is true that the United States is the only advanced economy in the world without guaranteed paid vacation. However, BLS data on employee benefits suggests that over 90% of full-time workers in the private sector have access to paid vacation, a number that has remained relatively stable for decades. And the number of paid vacation days offered by the typical employer has increased in recent years.
Remote Work
Another explanation for the decline in vacations is the trend of remote work. Working from a vacation spot, the “workations,” is becoming increasingly popular as more companies launch perks for those who want to “work from anywhere.” And companies are finding creative ways to ensure their employees continue to produce, such as partial reimbursement for vacations.
Now, what are the consequences of this for the physical and mental health of workers? The answer will come in the long term.
Source: The Washington Post