Work martyrdom is costing businesses and employees millions of dollars in productivity and sanity. Americans left 662 million vacation days on the table last year, netting $65.6 million in unused time, averaging about $750 per employee. The startling fact: the numbers get worse in the millennial generation.
When employees use up their time off, they are happier more productive, perform better in their field and report better overall health. Thirty-nine percent of millennial workers say they want to be viewed as a work martyr by their boss, but 86 percent do not want to be viewed as such by their families. Still, 43 percent of people who meet the criteria are millennials. So why are they so gung-ho to be labeled as work martyrs?
Fear and guilt seem to be driving forces in why millennials aren’t taking time off. When they do sign up for vacation time, many are not unplugging from the office. This could be because they’re the first generation to have nonstop access to Internet and email since they started their careers or because they admit to feeling under a lot of pressure to perform at work.
No matter the cause, paid time off is a benefit of many companies. If time equals money and you wouldn’t leave free money lying around on the table, why would you leave your vacation days? Plan your vacation today using the tool below: