Americans leave 658 million vacation days on the table

[TexasTowelie]

American workers have been taking less and less vacation over the past 15 years. A study by Project: Time Off found that in 2015, more than half of American workers left vacation time unused.

The United States is the only developed country that does not require employers to provide vacation time, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research. But workers often are entitled to days off that they simply aren’t taking.

Project: Time Off found 658 million days went unused last year among those surveyed, the highest ever since the travel industry group began measuring it. Of those, 222 million days are simply lost — they are days that cannot be rolled over, paid out or banked for any other benefit.

Employees cite a variety of reasons for forgoing vacation time — they worry about returning to a mountain of work or feel no one else can do their job. Some cannot afford it, and others simply want to show their complete dedication.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/2016/08/07/americans-leave-658-million-vacation-days-on-the-table/

[whatthehey]

1. That's the "live to work" BS that we need to outgrow as a nation

Few other developed nations act this way.

[Warpy]

2. Wages are low and a lot of workers rely on overtime to survive

Getting paid straight time over 2 weeks is something many can't afford. Others are afraid for their jobs, knowing if they take vacation, they'll be viewed as being less serious about the job and passed over for promotion and first to go in a cutback. They didn't even measure the ones that were used to extend inadequate sick leave.

Welcome to 2016 'Murka, Workers' Hell.

And they wonder why the Republicans are running an idiotic outsider and the Democrats were forced to adopt a lot of a Democratic Socialist's platform.

[redstatebluegirl]

3. At my last job I left a months worth of vacation on the table.

I was terrified to take it, when we were gone the secretary to the Dean who was called an
Administrator, would go into your office and look for things you hadn't done. I answered all email while on vacation, I answered phone calls. I didn't have a vacation for 10 years.

[B2G]

4. My company practically forces us to take it.

They start hounding us to get it all scheduled at mid year and they run reports constantly in Q4 to see if you're actually taking it.

[TexasTowelie]

5. I used to schedule my vacations relatively early in the year.

Other than on my birthday it was practically impossible to schedule vacation in the first half of the year since I submitted workers' compensation financial data. I usually took off the week of Thanksgiving since my boss wanted off at the end of the year for Christmas.

[B2G]

6. I'm lucky in that I get 6.5 weeks of paid vacation

And I can carry over a week if I don't use it all.

I usually take the week of Thanksgiving off and the last 2 weeks of the year. Being in IT, those are really slow times due to code freezes at the holidays and year end.

Works out great.

[waddirum]

17. My first job out of college gave me 5 weeks vacation

Now, 22 years later, I get 2 weeks vacation.

[Initech]

7. This is so wrong on so many levels.

[global1]

8. Just Think About The Stimulus To The Economy If Americans Could Afford To Take Vacation.....

Somebody should do an economic analysis of what the impact it would be on the economy if those 658 million vacation days were taken by American workers and they actually went on a vacation. They would spend money on airfare, busfare, railfare or maybe a cruise. They would rent a car. They would need to book hotel rooms. They would need to go out to eat at restaurants. They would visit recreational sites. Essentially they would spend money to stimulate the economy. Some might just stay home and maybe work on their house or apartment to fix it up. Again spending money.

Unfortunately - fares are going up on transportation, hotels, car rentals, amusements, restaurants - virtually everything is going up in price - and their wages are stagnating. They can't afford to go on vacation because they are just trying to get through their month and pay their utility bills, mortgage, credit card bills, food, medical expenses, etc.

This is a sad commentary on 21st century America.

Work your fingers to the bone - what do you get - bony finger, bony fingers.

[LongTomH]

15. +1000 Thanks for the points you've made!

[rurallib]

9. No longer work, but had many vacations with the pager strapped on and an expectation

that emails would be answered.
Some vacation.

And I know it has gotten much worse. For my son-in-law vacation means he only works 6 hours or so.

[mythology]

10. I'm mostly concerned about the days that are just lost

I generally carry a significant amount of vacation, but I always make sure to take some if I'm at a point where I would stop accruing. I get more vacation than I can afford to go places (plus being single makes vacationing more expensive and it's a little weird to go be a tourist on your own), but I do like to take staycations and get projects done, or schedule private lessons with coaches for things I want to be working on in my regular workouts.

[tenderfoot]

11. Come now, a worthless hack like Bob Novak never took a holiday - why should anyone else?

After all, making shit up is hard work.

[geek tragedy]

12. about half of those are my wife's nt

[LanternWaste]

13. I get four weeks a year, take two and sell two back.

I get four weeks a year (took fifteen years at the same company to get to there from only one week a year), take two and sell two back (and usually sell back to coincide with the vacation for additional vacation money).

I suppose I could take all four weeks, but as we can't take more than two weeks consecutively, and I rarely get burned out more than once a year, the one two-week vacation (along with all the federal holidays) is more than enough for me.

But yeah... I'd never allow it to roll over and lose it. If we couldn't cash in our vacation days, I'd guess I'd use it for a three day weekend once a month.

[Codeine]

14. I get three weeks but I only take one.

The other two weeks I just take as extra pay. A week feels like enough for me.

[Godhumor]

16. I make a point to use all my vacation time

I even stress that fact when I interview for new positions either internally or externally. If that is an issue, everyone knows it is not a good fit before trouble is had.

Vacation time is a form of compensation. I refuse to give away some of my compensation for free.

[etherealtruth]

18. Oh hell no .... I take every minute I earn

I don't hate my job .... four weeks of vacation a year (plus holidays and the rare sick day) .... helps keep me fresh and egaged

[ileus]

19. It happens...once you get time built up it's hard to use up.

We have two guys in our shop of 5 that are always topped out. They even donate PTO or cash out PTO at least once a year each...

[Lady Freedom Returns]

20. My Shop Steward will hound us if we don't.

She just keeps at us till we run to the manager to sing up.
Then we have the part - timers who join in because they want a few extra hours that the vacation will through to them.
Then you have management that wants you to because they see great improvement in customer satisfaction scores. They say that it is because when the employee is happy, they seem to make customers more happy.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

21. Around here the people who don't take holidays are the same people who work weekends

We have about a dozen of them, they just leave the office long enough to shower, fuck some piece of trash from Tinder and pickup a spinach smoothie or whatever that green sludge they're drinking is.

They aren't regarded as diligent, they're just regarded as pitiful. There is nothing in the company culture that encourages this, they do it to themselves.

There is no great secret to getting ahead here. Learn French and build relationships.

[RobinA]

22. I Can Say

in 36 years I've never knowingly left any vacation on the table.

I too get less than I did at my first job out of college. Although I am bringing home slightly more money, even in 1980 dollars.

[Cresent City Kid]

23. Must be nice

I get 10 in a year and they have to last for every sick day, car not running day, and the shop is closed extra days for Christmas days.