Nearly one-fourth of U.S. employees failed to take a single day off work last year—even though most had paid time off available, Inc. writes.
Heavy workloads, unsupportive managers and guilt kept workers from using PTO, according to Flexjobs, while 19% of respondents said their company culture discourages breaks entirely.
Experts say such “rest-resistant” environments threaten productivity, morale and retention. Although 18% of workers took more than 15 days off, overall U.S. vacation use still lags behind other developed nations—where mandatory leave policies and cultural norms favor rest and work-life balance. Americans who do take PTO increasingly spend it catching up on sleep rather than traveling—one recent survey found 37% use vacation days to rest at home.
Analysts note that while U.S. employers typically offer 10 to 14 days of paid time off annually, having a culture that supports actually using that time is what differentiates sustainable, high-performing workplaces from those burning out their staff.
