WORKERS IN THE U.S. FORFEIT NEARLY HALF OF THEIR VACATION TIME EACH YEAR
Employees who receive vacation or paid time off are only taking about half according to a recent survey conducted by Glassdoor.
Glassdoor surveyed over 2,200 adults regarding vacation time realities, including the percentage of eligible vacation time/paid time off actually taken, how much work is conducted while on vacation and why, as well as other trends. The results are not inconsistent with what has been found in past years.
Survey respondents reported that they had taken roughly half (54%) of their eligible vacation or paid time off in the past 12 months. However, nearly two-thirds of survey respondents (66%) reported working while on vacation; up from 61% three years ago. Further, 9% of survey respondents indicated that had taken none of their eligible vacation or paid time off in the last year.
Research shows that time away from work is necessary to ensure productivity while at work. So, why are employees not taking the necessary time off?
Of those employees who reported working while on vacation, the top reasons for doing so were because they had a fear of getting behind on their work (34%), no one else in the company can do their work while they are away (30%), they feel complete dedication to the company (22%), and they feel they can never be disconnected from work (21%).
These feelings are not unfounded. Survey respondents reported that their employers expected them to stay aware of work issues and jump if needed while they are away (27%) or their employers expected them to be reachable, deliver work, or participate in conference call while on vacation (9%). Given these expectations, it is no surprise that many employees remain connected to work while on vacation or while taking paid time off.
As a reminder, Nevada law requires employers to pay employees for all time worked. That includes time in which the employee works outside their usual schedule. Nevada employers should be mindful of time spent by their non-exempt employees while not at work. If non-exempt employees are required or expected to be available outside of normal work hours, any time spent working, including answering emails or phone calls, will be deemed compensable time.
Don’t open yourself up to a wage and hour complaint from the Office of the Labor Commissioner or the Department of Labor. If you have questions about this or other wage and hour issues, contact the Nevada Association of Employers.
