Fully 79 percent of the planners who responded to Convene‘s Annual Salary Survey didn’t take advantage of all their vacation days in 2015. That’s high, compared to 55 percent of Americans polled earlier this year for the US Travel Association’s Project: Time Off initiative who said they forfeited time off. This video explores what’s behind this surprising statistic.
How many of your accrued personal and vacation days did you take in 2015?
79% took fewer days than allotted
41% took “some” days off
3% took no days off
Read More: Convene‘s 2016 Salary Survey
Studies indicate a correlation between earned time off and improved productivity, creativity, and better overall worker performance. Project: Time Off estimates that unused vacation days cost the U.S. economy some $223 billion annually.
To meet this problem head on, managers should encourage open talks about paid time off among their staff. Encourage vacation planning and lead by example. In other words, everyone needs take their vacation days. You’ve earned them!