Dive Brief:
- Workers plan to take an average of 10 vacation days this year, according to a Robert Half (RH) report released on Tuesday. Fifty-eight percent of the 2,800 workers polled save vacation time for the summer months of June, July and August.
- The survey also found that few workers plan to take more than 15 vacation days this year; cities with the most workers saving time for vacation are Los Angeles (74%), New York and Detroit (tied at 71%) and Miami (69%).
- Most workers plan to take either 1-5 or 6-10 vacation days, RH said. Broken down by gender, the poll found that 30% of women and 28% of men planned to take 6-10 vacation days, and men tended to choose moderate or high vacation day ranges, in general.
Dive Insight:
The good news in the RH report is that the respondents plan to take an average of 10 vacation days this year. This statistic shows progress among workers when compared to a 2018 study by Allianz Global Assistance, which found that more than half of Americans hadn't taken a full week's vacation in more than a year.
Vacation time can't be undervalued. Recent studies showed that an overwhelming majority of workers are stressed out at work and that mental illness, largely anxiety and depression, is a rising health concern in the workplace. Workers who are stressed or burned out are prone to chronic health problems, are less productive and more likely to be out sick — rather than out on vacation.
A week or two of rest and relaxation is a welcome break from the stress of work for employees. In fact, a 2018 O.C. Tanner survey showed that 70% of workers who took a week or two of vacation were more driven to contribute to their organization's success than those who took fewer vacation days.
HR leaders can create a culture of health that emphasizes the importance of taking sufficient time off and encourages workers to use their earned vacation and paid time off to rejuvenate.