12/16/2019

Daily Buzz: Why Americans Leave PTO on the Table

Each year, more than half of all Americans leave vacation days unused

For many Americans, paid time off is going to waste.

According to a 2019 work-life balance survey by Priceline, 44 million Americans still had seven days of paid time off heading into the holiday season, CNBC reports. That is more than most workers can, or will, use by the end of the year, Priceline found.

Why aren’t Americans using more paid time off? The Priceline survey highlights several factors.

“Difficulty unplugging from work, guilt about being out of the office, and concerns about their reputation with their boss all factor into the worry many employees face about taking time off, according to [the] report,” said CNBC’s Jessica Dickler.

And it’s not just this year: In the same survey, a third of American workers reported leaving half of their days or more unused every year.

“Last year, American workers left a record 768 million days of vacation on the table, up nearly 10 percent from the year before, according to research from the U.S. Travel Association,” Dickler said.

Of those lost vacation days, the association reported that 236 million were forfeited completely—resulting in $65.6 billion in lost benefits.

Please select this link to read the original article from Associations Now.