Many American Workers Feel Guilty About Taking Vacation They’ve Earned

Why do so many U.S. workers feel guilty about taking hard-earned vacation?

By Karen Tan, Assistant Professor of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Middle Tennessee State University“My dedication was questioned.”“Managers or upper management have looked down upon taking time off.”“People think that maybe you’re not as invested in the job, that you’re shirking your duties or something.”These are just a few of the responses to questions I asked during a study I conducted on vacation guilt among American workers.More than…

Why do so many American workers feel guilty about taking the vacation they’ve earned?

The U.S. is the only advanced economy that doesn't legally mandate a minimum number of vacation days. Comstock Images/Stockbyte via Getty Images“My dedication was questioned.” “Managers or upper management have looked down upon taking time off.” “People think that maybe you’re not as invested in the job, that you’re shirking your duties or something.” These are just a few of the responses to questions I asked during a study I conducted on vacati…

Many American workers feel guilty about taking vacation they’ve earned

A Pew Research Center survey found that nearly half of American workers don't take all the vacation days they've been allotted. And many of them feel as if they're discouraged from using their time off.