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Paid days off from work aren’t a guarantee for many Americans, and even when available, many workers are not utilizing them fully.
According to a recent Harris Poll survey of 1,170 American workers, a significant 78% admit to not taking all their paid time off (PTO).
This trend is especially pronounced among Gen Z and Millennial workers.
Younger professionals often feel pressured to meet deadlines and maintain productivity, leading to anxiety about requesting PTO.
Libby Rodney, the Chief Strategy Officer at The Harris Poll, notes that these workers fear appearing unproductive or like "slackers" to their employers. As a result, while breaks are being taken, they are often not communicated to managers.
Millennials and the rise of 'quiet vacationing'
Millennials have developed covert methods to manage their time off.
Nearly 40% admit to taking time off without informing their manager. They engage in activities like moving their computer mouse to show activity on company messaging platforms or scheduling emails to send outside regular hours, creating the illusion of working overtime.
“There’s a giant workaround culture at play,” Rodney observes.
Unlike Gen Z, who are more vocal about unsupportive PTO practices, millennials prefer subtle methods to achieve work-life balance, which Rodney refers to as "quiet vacationing."
The drawbacks of unlimited PTO
The tendency to avoid taking PTO may indicate a lack of supportive policies and workplace culture.
Rodney suggests that leaders can alleviate this tension by being transparent about the PTO request process, normalizing time off by taking it themselves, supporting employees’ use of PTO, and even mandating a minimum number of days off.
Interestingly, unlimited PTO policies do not necessarily encourage more time off.
Workers with 11 to 15 days of PTO are more likely to use them, but usage drops significantly when more than 16 days are available.
Creative PTO strategies, such as company-wide shutdowns around holidays, pre-start vacation incentives for new hires, or quarterly mandatory PTO days, can be more effective.
A push for European-style work-life balance
Many Americans surveyed advocate for U.S. policies similar to those in Europe, which enforce clear boundaries between work and personal time.
These include extended vacation periods, longer lunch breaks, shorter workweeks, and protections for slower response times outside of work hours.
The data highlights a significant issue within American workplaces: the need for a cultural shift toward supporting and normalizing taking time off.
Until then, the trend of "quiet vacationing" among millennials is likely to continue as they seek to balance their professional and personal lives without risking their careers.
