The results of a new study reveal that the rise of flexible work arrangements, while a positive development in many ways, is also robbing us of quality vacation time and that the trend towards taking a "workcation" isn't as beneficial as it seems.
Expedia's 22nd annual Vacation Deprivation Report discovered that burned-out workers plan to prioritize permitting themselves to truly take time away in 2022 for the sake of their own sanity. Almost all (92 percent) of the over 14,500 survey participants-hailing from the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific-agreed that taking regular vacations is important for a person's overall health and well-being.
The Vacation Deprivation Report each year investigates the work-life balance of people around the globe, and this edition found that Americans took six fewer vacation days (less than 12 days) than the global average of 18 days per year in 2021. On top of which, U.S. workers were given the least amount of vacation days by employers, with the U.S. also having one of the highest percentages of people who left vacation days unused by year's end.
With the pandemic-era expansion of remote working arrangements, many Americans did take the opportunity to travel, but-by mixing their work hours into the trip-didn't really reap the benefits of a true vacation, where they could unplug, unwind and recharge. The majority of respondents (61 percent) said they don't consider such trips to be "true" vacations. And, even though most (78 percent) like to feel "unproductive" while on vacation, half still bring their work laptops with them and 41 percent frequently attend virtual meetings, even though they're supposed to be "out of the office".
"Despite the nearly universal belief that regular vacations are critical to our health and wellbeing, the research shows we struggle to fully unplug from work," said Christie Hudson, senior PR manager for Expedia. "Instead, we try and do it all, checking email from the pool and taking work calls while out of office. This study is a reminder that vacations should be a time to rest, recharge and prioritize the things that really matter. After all, work can wait."
2022 promises to be the year that Americans assert their right to truly take advantage of their PTO. The report states that working adults in the U.S. have pledged to take off an average of 14 days this year, which is nearly three days more than they did last year. In fact, 44 percent of Americans have already booked their next trip and, if 2021 trends continue, they're also more likely than travelers from other regions to splurge on all sorts of upgrades, taking trips that extend to multiple destinations or booking backup vacations in case their primary plans get disrupted.
Expedia also examined the ways in which we undermine the integrity of our own vacation experiences and came up with the following shortlist.
Breaking Bad Vacation Habits
- Not setting boundaries - 63 percent of Americans said they include their mobile number in their out-of-office replies, essentially inviting vacation interruptions. Break the habit of making yourself so easily available, and help protect your experiences during your valuable time off.
- Leaving vacation days unused - In 2021, Americans took the fewest number of vacation days out of everyone on the planet, even though a higher percentage of U.S. employees (14 percent) were allowed unlimited vacation days than workers in other countries (eight percent).
- Hustling without breaks - Nearly half (49 percent) of Americans reported feeling guilty if they weren't doing anything "productive" on vacation. Fifty-one percent said they used some of their time off doing a side hustle. And, Americans on average used three of their 2021 vacation days to do things like caring for a sick family member, going to doctor appointments or running errands.
- Asking permission to take time off - Over half (52 percent) of Americans feel guilty about leaving coworkers to cover their workload and feel compelled to apologize or make excuses for taking time off. Yet, most of them (80 percent) said they feel their colleagues support them taking their vacation time.
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