Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. Workers Took No PTO in the Past Year, Says FlexJobs Survey

FlexJobs’® Work & PTO Pressure Report found that nearly one-quarter (23%) of workers did not take any vacation days in the past year. The report of over 3,000 U.S. respondents showed that although the majority of workers (82%) have paid time off (PTO) benefits, several factors, including workload, employer expectations, and company culture, are causing them to avoid taking time away from work.

According to the survey, nearly half of respondents (42%) said they have accrued PTO, or earned paid time off. Seventeen percent have a fixed number of days, and 12% follow a use-it-or-lose-it policy, where PTO days expire annually. Only 11% of workers report having unlimited PTO, while 18% say their company offers no PTO at all.

Among the surveyed workers who have used PTO benefits, the majority kept their time off relatively brief, with 42% taking off one to five days (21%) or six to 10 days (21%) in the past year. Additionally, 17% took roughly two weeks of time off (11-15 days), and 18% took more than 15 days.

“Most employees have some form of paid time off, but there’s a big difference between a company that offers this benefit and one that actually encourages workers to use it,” said Toni Frana, Career Expert Manager at FlexJobs. “Without a company culture that supports rest, many workers feel they can’t really step away without risking their professional reputation.”

Notably, nearly half of respondents (43%) in FlexJobs’ report said their workloads are too heavy to justify taking time off from work. Other common reasons cited were not having enough paid time off (34%), the fear of falling behind (30%), guilt or pressure to appear committed at work (29%), and a lack of clear support from employers (19%).

FlexJobs’ survey reported that most workers (82%) said they are “somewhat” (33%) or “completely” (49%) trusted by their company to manage their time and responsibilities. The remaining 18% disagreed, sharing they are not trusted and feel “micromanaged.”

However, the findings demonstrate that the majority’s perceived sense of trust does not translate into meaningful support when it comes to taking time off. In fact, one in four respondents (25%) said their manager would be “discouraging” if they were to fully disconnect from work for a full week on PTO.

“When people can completely unplug and disconnect from their job, they return to work more focused, productive, and engaged,” Frana added. “Encouraging workers to take time off isn’t just important in supporting employee well-being, but is also critical to talent retention and performance.”

Please visit https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/pto-statistics or contact Shanna Briggs at shanna.briggs@bold.com for more information.