A new year comes with new vacation plans, and for many Americans that means figuring out just how much time they can take off between
On average, employees in the U.S. take 14 days off per year, while workers in European countries like Spain, France, Germany and even the U.K. take 24 days, according to workforce tech solutions company
“In America, people work when they’re expected to. If people are expected to work more and take less time off, they do it,” says John Bernasconi, project manager at Skynova. “It seems work is embedded in American culture more so than in other countries.
Read more:
Skynova’s survey of nearly 1,000 people across the U.S. and Europe found that despite getting fewer days, 70% of U.S. employees felt they received enough time off from work. Meanwhile, 53% of Europeans reported feeling satisfied with their PTO. Bernasconi suggests differing perceptions of work-life balance are at play, as well as one undeniable factor: workload.
According to Skynova, 40% of Americans reported that their workload prevents them from taking vacation time, while nearly 30% did not feel they could access their sick time for the same reason. In European countries, only 24% of employees felt their workload affected their accessibility to vacation time, and 17% felt similarly about sick time.
“It's quite clear that workload is impacting the ability to take time off,” Bernasconi says. “It’s not necessarily your employer or even your boss, but the work that you have.”
Read more:
Still, this could mean a company’s culture is making it difficult for employees to take time off, regardless of what their PTO and leave benefits look like. This is even more concerning for working parents in the U.S., who need to take advantage of paternity or maternity leave — if they even have an employer who offers it, explains Bernasconi.
“Personally, as a new father, I can’t imagine not taking the time to bond with my baby and support my wife,” he says. “I think it created a greater bond between me and my job because I felt cared for as an employee.”
There is no law guaranteeing maternity or paternity leave in the U.S. — just 45% of Americans surveyed by Skynova had maternity leave and 22% had paternity leave. In the EU, parents are entitled to at least four months of leave following the birth or the adoption of a child. In the U.K., moms are given as much as a full year of leave. As a result, Europeans have, on average, 106 paid days of maternity leave; Americans have just 42.
Read more:
But in the wake of the pandemic, the U.S. has taken the lead when it comes to providing additional sick days and flexible time off. Over 80% of Americans reported that their jobs have become more relaxed about time off, compared to 59% of Europeans, according to Skynova. In addition, approximately 80% of Americans received additional sick time or paid time off as a result of COVID-19.
“You have seen a shift in American businesses towards accommodating health-related needs,” says Bernasconi. “It’s this shift to remote work, giving employees time off to get tested, allowing employees to recover if they’re sick and letting them care for loved ones — our entire relationship with work has changed.”
It’s a change that may stick as employees head into another year of the pandemic. And increases in PTO and flexible work cultures aren’t just good for workers, but can also breed company loyalty at a time when businesses are scrambling to maintain teams.
Skynova found that 92% of those who felt supported in taking time off also felt satisfied with their jobs. Of workers who do not feel supported in utilizing their PTO, just 59% reported feeling satisfied with their jobs.
“When employees feel appreciated as humans, not just as task computers, it improves not only their job satisfaction but their performance,” says Bernasconi. “It might be cliche, but happy employees are better employees.”
