Scared to ask for a break: More than half of American workers leave two weeks vacation time unused

Daily Mail (UK) ^ | November 16, 2011 | Michael Zenne

[Colonel Kangaroo]

American workers are afraid to take a break. About 57 percent of them don't use all their vacation time each year...

[Colonel Kangaroo]

Meanwhile much of Europe takes the whole month of August off while American workers have significantly subsidized European defense for 60+ years.

Nose to the grindstone peons!

[mewzilla]

American workers are afraid to take a break have an uncommon work ethic.

There, I fixed it :-)

[sneakers]

That would be me. I have about two weeks of vacation time left. Just too darned busy, and nobody else in the office has time or knowledge to do my job. It’s just not worth the bother! At least I can carry it over to next year. I’ll need the time; son is getting married in May!

[rarestia]

I’m sorry, I don’t see a problem here. We’re an industrious people who live to work and you wonder why we have the best healthcare in the world, among other things.

[vekzen]

But. . but. . . I thought Americans were lazy. . isn’t that what our Great Leader told the world last week?

[justlurking]

I purposely carry over a week into the next year, at least most years. Then, I occasionally plan a long break to use up all the accumulated vacation time.

Due to my job, I'm usually idle the week of Thanksgiving and the week between Christmas and Thanksgiving. I can usually take those off with a combination of holidays, personal days, and only a week of vacation.

Another two weeks (usually separately) during the summer, and I have a week left.

[redgolum]

I have a week and a half left to take this year. Got three weeks of vacation two years ago, and honestly don’t want to use them. To many things get all messed up if I am gone.

For many though the fear is “If we don’t need you for two weeks, do we need you at all?”

[lookout88]

I thought dear leader said we were lazy?

[riri]

Whole month of August (or July), six hour days, they urge you to stay home when sick (it's fully culturally acceptable to miss multiple days when sick multiple times a year -- no one bats an eye), when there is a holiday nothing gets done a day or two before, routinely they will do what they call "hitting the wall" and take long leaves of absence for stress--

In fact when living in Sweden, my husband got a stomach virus and his boss told him to stay home for two days minimum.

When you keep 20 percent of your pay -- I guess you get what perks you can.

[TSgt]

For many though the fear is “If we don’t need you for two weeks, do we need you at all?”

Agreed, I wish more businesses would allow the more productive types to cash in their vacation as a perk to working. Sometimes the productive types are really the paranoid types.

[Betis70]

Just checked my PTO balance ... almost 36 days.

I think I need a break.

[Beagle8U]

I’ve never had more than two weeks vacation time for a year. That is all the time I was allowed.

[redgolum]

LOL! Yeah that is me.

We used to be able to bank our vacation, but that ended years ago.

At my last job, we could. When the boss told all of us engineers to “use up any vacation by the end of the year” (in October) my co worker said “Do you want engineering to shut down till January?”

[Lazamataz]

routinely they will do what they call "hitting the wall"

Hmmm.

I never thought of hitting the wall.

Thanks for the idea!

[Huck]

I take a vacation every five years or so whether I need it or not. Actually, I could keep going but my wife likes to take a trip from time to time, so I do it to make her happy. Of course, I'm an independent contractor so there is no "vacation time."

And besides, there are plenty of built in vacations. I'll have 4 1/2 days off for Thanksgiving, just because of my work schedule. So that's fine. I'm looking forward to spending more time with the missus.

[albie]

So I guess it’s time to force corporations to force vacations?! For “our own good”?!

[Venturer]

They fail to mention the other half (mostly Gubmint workers & Obama voters) not only take their vacations, they take all of their sick leave and then try to borrow more from co-workers when they actually do get sick.

Which half would you hire?

[netmilsmom]

Oh thank you so much!!!

My Dear Departed Father used to say, give 100% and expect nothing back.

[rightwingintelligentsia]

Hi, sneakers. You’re lucky you can hold over your vacation time. Ours is “use it or lose it.”

Fortunately, or more accurately, unfortunately, we’ve been rather slow lately (thanks, Obama!), so I’ll be able to use up most or all of my PTO. I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I’m up to 5 weeks now.

[Siena Dreaming]

I know no Federal worker who doesn't take their paid vacation and plenty of them get one day a pay period (plus sick leave).

Many business owners get no paid vacations. When you go on vacation, you know that you will not get paid for the time you're off.