It shouldnt be a controversial statement to say that we Americans have an unhealthy relationship with vacation time.?
As a nation with a highly developed economy, we consistently rank poorly in the amount of vacation time we can enjoyand according to some statistics, we rank the worst.?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2024, 30 percent of private industry workers received 10-14 days of paid vacation only after they worked for one year. After 10 years of service, 32 percent of workers received 15-19 days of paid vacation time. The rest of the population receives more or less vacation time.?
Meanwhile, the European Union Working Time Directive requires workers receive at least 20 days of paid vacation time (with many countries offering six to seven weeks of paid vacation time off each year, not including paid holidays).?
So perhaps we are simply starved for vacation time, but were also not using the short amount of time we do have.?
Last year, Expedias Vacation Deprivation Report found that Americans have on average only 11 days off for vacation a year, and over half of Americans dont even take that time off to vacation.?
Americans, while being known as big spenders at home and abroad, dont take as many vacations per year as travelers from other countries, either, leading 65 percent of Americans to report feeling vacation deprived.?
Yikes.?
While I think the American mindset is finally shifting from a material consumer consciousness to one that more heavily prioritizes using our resources for experiences, we still have a long way to go.?
That productivity focus that weve been taught actually hinders us during our vacations too, causing us to compulsively check our emails and (God forbid) even answer our colleagues phone calls when we should be doing anything BUT working.?
A report by ELVTR found that 68 percent of Americans and Canadians work during their vacations. Twenty-seven percent reported working during vacation out of love for their jobs, but a larger 37 percent reported the perceived necessity of working during vacation.?
So when we finally do take the average 11 days off to get some rest, were not actually resting, either. And that just brings us back to another reason why some people dont even take time off for vacationsbecause why grapple with the guilt of missing out on family or friend time to work on vacation when you could just not take a vacation at all??
SeriouslyWhat gives??
We need to learn to be more intentional about separating ourselves from our work lives when we travel.?
We need to be clear that our vacation time matters, and that when we take it, we wont be leaving our families on the beach to go solve a work emergency.
We need to be strong about demanding more paid vacation time for everyonesupporting everyone in their desire to take their vacation time instead of losing it.?
We need to have better standards for ourselves.?
We, the American workers, are the backbone of one of the strongest economies in the world. Why shouldnt we get to enjoy more time off? Would that really hurt our productivity, when travel and time off work has been repeatedly proven to actually improve productivity across the board?
My point? Use your vacation time. Plan a trip or two or three. Eat some regular work days if you have to, to enjoy something really special. And dont you dare even look at your inbox during your trip.?
You only live once. Lets remember to live for ourselves, and not just for the shareholders. Got it??
Lets travel.?
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