Workers in the United States are horrible about taking paid vacation days, due to an array of factors like being overwhelmed by heavy workloads and feeling guilty for taking a break.
But 2026 can be different, if you know the right way to plan and focus on adjusting your mind set. That might feel like a near-impossible task for some, according to the numbers.
Nearly a quarter (24%) of U.S. workers took no paid time off in 2024, even though 82% of employees have PTO to use, says a recent survey from FlexJobs, a platform that helps workers find remote and hybrid positions.
“Even when PTO is technically available, many workers still don’t feel comfortable using it,” says Keith Spencer, a career expert at FlexJobs. “Heavy workloads, fear of falling behind, lack of coverage, and pressure to be ‘always on’ can make stepping away feel risky. There’s also the concern about how time off will be perceived or whether it unintentionally signals a lack of commitment or reliability.”
According to the survey, 43% of workers said their workload was too heavy to justify time away, while 29% of respondents said they felt too guilty or too much pressure to appear committed to their job to take a vacation.
Further complicating matters are unspoken workplace cultures against taking PTO, ongoing economic uncertainty in the U.S., and concerns about job security, which can all make “PTO feel like a luxury rather than a right,” Spencer says.
But with the right planning and communication, it’s possible to maximize your paid vacation days and minimize the guilt.
The first step to quieting that judgemental voice in your head scolding you for wanting a vacation is to try to consider your paid time off the same way you view your salary. “It helps to start by reminding yourself that PTO is a core part of your compensation package, not a favor your employer is granting,” Spencer says. “It’s there to be used and taking regular time off is associated with better focus, creativity, and long-term resilience at work.”
Just as there are documented workplace benefits to taking time to unplug and regroup, there are professional downsides to never taking time off. Employees who skip their PTO can experience burnout and declines in productivity, according to Spencer. “When workers recognize that time off actually supports their long-term performance, it becomes easier to advocate for it,” he says.
Another way to minimize guilt is to make sure your coworkers are prepared for your time away from the office. Telling your manager and team about your time off as early as possible, making a coverage plan like naming a specific point of contact while you’re away, and trying to finish up any major tasks before heading out can help bring peace of mind during your hard-earned vacation.
Once you’ve summoned the courage to cash in your PTO, it’s time to figure out how to put your vacation days to work. Being strategic with your allotted time off can help maximize your vacation days in 2026. To get the most from your days off, plan to group your PTO with federal holidays that might be company holidays, too.
Delta Air Lines, for instance, has a helpful guide on how to use this strategy to take 18 days of PTO and turn them into 61 vacation days in 2026 by grouping them with weekends and federal holidays. You may or may not be able to stretch your vacation days that far, depending on the holidays your office observes. For example, Delta counts Veteran’s Day and Columbus Day as potential company holidays, but many offices remain open on those days.
If travelers do get Veteran’s Day off, the airline suggests adding two PTO days onto the holiday, which falls on a Wednesday in 2026, to stretch it into a five-day break, including one weekend. The timing would be ideal for a fall shoulder season trip just before Thanksgiving travel begins.
For a longer trip or international vacation in 2026, the airline’s plan suggests taking nine days of PTO from June 19 through July 5 to incorporate two federal holidays—Juneteenth (Friday, June 19) and Fourth of July (which is on a Saturday but will be observed on a Friday this year)—plus two weekends, for a total of 17 days off.
Delta’s outline also recommends using three PTO days during Thanksgiving 2026 to bridge the gap between the holiday itself (Thursday November 26) and the two surrounding weekends for a total of nine vacation days from November 21 to 29.
Taking three or four well-placed PTO days in December can stretch Christmas—which falls on a Friday this year—into an 11-day vacation from December 24 to January 3 by combining vacation days with weekends and New Year’s Day, which will be on the Friday following Christmas in 2026.
Here’s a look at other key holiday weekends in 2026 where you could add a couple days of PTO to maximize your time off:
- Martin Luther King Day Weekend 2026: January 16 to 19
- Presidents’ Day Weekend 2026: February 13 to 16
- Memorial Day Weekend 2026: May 23 to 25
- Labor Day Weekend 2026: September 4 to 7
- Columbus Day (or Indigenous Peoples’ Day) 2026: October 9 to 11
By staying organized and starting to plan early, you can make 2026 the year you use all of those well-deserved vacation days to the fullest—and not feel bad about it for one second.
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