Why Don't Americans Take Vacations?

Why don't Americans take vacations? Vacations are memorable. You can take them with your family, your friends, your significant other, or by yourself. You can soak up the sun on a beach, adventure to a foreign country, explore a city, sail away on a cruise ship, or escape to a little cabin in the mountains. The options are infinite and the destinations are limitless.  The world is your oyster, yet you decide to sit behind a desk and stockpile vacation days that you'll eventually lose. For what? To prove that you're the hardest worker? To show that you're dedicated to the job?

Americans are taking less vacation than at any point in the last forty years—just 16 vacation days today, down from an average of over 20 days taken 15 years ago. So, why don't Americans take vacations?

Millions of vacation days go unused for a variety of reasons but a recent study done by Project Time Off cites the following: 40% of workers don't want to return to a mountain of work. 35% of workers feel that nobody else can do their job. And 22% of workers express concern that they do not want to be seen as replaceable.

The truth of the matter is, that taking vacation is important. It allows families time to create traditions, it cultivates a more fulfilled life, it lowers stress, and taking vacations facilitates life experiences. 75% of HR professionals report that employees who take most or all of their vacation time perform better than those who take less.

Last year, 429 million days of vacation went unused. It's time to significantly shrink that number, don't you think? Find out how many vacation days you currently have, meet with your manager, and let us help you make the most your vacation time this year and in the years to come.