Will You Use It or Will You Lose It?

There were a few major shifts during and after the pandemic in how we work, and one of them is people realizing that their lives are at least as important as their careers. People looked for jobs that paid more, gave them more satisfaction, more opportunity for advancement, the opportunity to move to a part of the country they preferred, and that gave them more PTO. Vacations are so important that post-pandemic consumer behavior has shifted from buying things to buying experiences, and the appetite for travel became so voracious that for a time it was called “revenge travel.” Reading that, you might think that people are finally getting serious about taking all the vacation time available to them.

You’d be wrong.

Companies, in an effort to attract job-changing talent, offered more PTO last year. And 55% of that PTO went unused, mostly by female employees. What’s up with that?

According to an article in Forbes, 72% of American workers say their job stresses them out, and that hurts the companies that employ them. Employees who take vacations come back with a fresh perspective, new ideas, and recharged batteries. The key to a well-functioning team is having engaged employees, and I don’t mean those with wedding plans. Employee engagement declines as stress levels rise, so if you’re a team lead with a bunch of stressed people, do an analysis of vacation time usage and you might find the main problem.

Companies can offer a ton of time off, and yet they struggle to help their employees feel secure in using all that time off. We’ve created a culture of near-martyrdom where choosing work over time off is concerned. It’s gotten so bad that companies are running campaigns to educate their employees on why it’s good to not come to work! The world’s second-shortest podcast has featured the time-off conundrum numerous times – here are three less-than-90-second-long episodes to help you feel better about using it, not losing it.

Want a fun reason to use it? Here’s a Tiny Bite for that!

Want an idea of what to do when you use it? Here’s a Tiny Bite for that!

Want to understand the neuroscience of choosing work, not play? Here’s a Tiny Bite for that!

Today, look at the PTO you have left this year. Look at the unused vacation time you have. You don’t have to tell anyone how much it is, and I double-dog-dare you to find a way to use it, not lose it.

Go ahead – take the rest of the year off!

PS...know someone planning a meeting, retreat, or conference? Please share this post with them...thanks!