Why Women Dont Use Vacation Time As Well As Men

Why Women Dont Use Vacation Time As Well As Men Are you going on vacation this summer? Chances are you have some extra days off at your disposal, especially if youre a woman.According to astudyreleased Tuesday (May 25) by the U.S. Travel Associations Project Time Off, most Americans didnt use all of their vacation days in 2016, though employees are gradually getting better at taking advantage of their time off. In 2013 and 2014, the average number of vacation days taken by employees was 16, while in 2016 that number was up to 16.8. Still, 54 percent of U.S. employees didnt use all of their vacation days last year and men made better use of their paid time off than women did. Forty-eight percent of men took all of their vacation days in 2016, while 44 percent of women did the same.Fortunes Claire Zillman, whoanalyzed the report, notes that this is particularly surprising because mora women than men (58 percent and 49 percent, respectively) say that paid time off is extremely importan t to them. Moreover, even though millennials are often stigmatized as being lazy or feeling entitled, young women certainly arent conforming to those stereotypes while 51 percent of male millennials did use all of their time off in 2016, a mere 44 percent of their female counterparts did.Zillman explains thata fear of returning to a mountain of work is the top factor keeping Americans chained to their desks, and it comes at a cost. Employees who forfeit vacation time are less likely to have been promoted within the last year and to have received a raise or bonus in the last three years compared to workers who took all of their PTO.Why might women be less likely to use their days off? The report offers some insightHigh stress, guilt, and workload concerns may be keeping women from using their time off. Women report experiencing more stress than men at home (48% to 40%) and at work (74% to 67%). They are also more likely to say that guilt (25% to 20%) and the mountain of work they wou ld return to (46% to 40%) hold them back from taking time off. Women also worry more than men about vacation making them seem less committed to their job (28% to 25%).At Fairygodboss, weve found that theres a goodbusiness case forunlimitedvacation. In addition to helping companies attract and retain top talent, it boosts employee morale and productivity, and it strengthens trust between employers and employees.So, we certainly hope that employers will take note and will make more of an effort toencourageemployees to take advantage of their paid time off and to mitigate any sense of shame that workers might feel about using vacation days.Summer is nahe daran sein approaching, so if youre overdue for a break from work, take it Not only do you deserve it, but it also may boost your chances of getting that raise or promotion youve been hoping for.Fairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women.Join us by reviewing your employer