Why Hitting the Beach is Important

It's Friday after another week of good weather. Have you taken a summer vacation yet?  If not, you are not alone. Many American workers do not take all the vacation they accumulate.

An interesting fact is that American workers, in sharp contrast to most of our European counterparts, often leave vacation days on the table. Surveys have suggested that U.S. employees, as a general rule, receive about 15 paid vacation days but often use as few as 11.

The reason why this would be true is a challenge for sociologists and psychologists to tackle, but of more immediate concern is whether or not this is a good thing, for employees and employers alike.

At first glance, business owners may be inclined to celebrate this aspect of the American work ethic as a great productivity boon for their companies. It also eases the problem of scheduling to cover vacation absences. But there are potentially significant downsides to consider:

• Vacations play an important role in reducing stress and having new experiences. Often these experiences can advance one’s skills and learning, which may favorably impact one’s work.

• Time away from the office provides the opportunity for employees to take care of important time-consuming matters on the home front, which otherwise could be distracting at work.

• Time off enables employees to reconnect with families and friends, helping to provide a sense of balance between home life and career.

• Vacations serve as a big morale booster, as well as an opportunity to recharge.

Some employees worry that their work won’t get done, or done properly, if they take time off.  Others fear they will be seen as slackers or poor team players if they take their allotted time off. The reality is that the work does get done, and vacationing employees are only taking the time their benefits package entitles them to take. There is not a good reason to avoid taking vacation days, and plenty of potentially poor consequences if employees do not take them.

 So, why do many American workers fail to take their full vacation time? We cannot say for sure, but we can say that those who skimp on vacation days may not be doing themselves, or their employers, any favors.

Eric Cormier is a senior human resource specialist in the Boston offices of Insperity. Insperity provides an array of human resources and business solutions designed to help improve business performance.