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Bob & LBF in the Morning

Bob & LBF in the Morning

Bob & LBF in the Morning

Here’s How Often Americans Need A Vacation

Author Bob Bronson
Exhausted young mum sit on couch in kitchen feel unwell tired from ill-behaved loud little children running playing, sick annoyed mother or nanny relax on sofa suffer from headache, parenting concept

If you haven’t a vacation in a while, you are much more in need of one than you probably think. The average American adult gets two weeks vacation time a year. That isn’t a lot, but it appears you need to use them wisely for maximum benefit.

What was once considered a luxury for workers, has now become an essential benefits for maintaining mental health, and living a less stressful overall life. Vacations are no longer considered to be a perk but a requirement for a happy work and home life.

Most European countries take a lot more time off than Americans do. It is not uncommon for these countries to take the entire month of August off. Of course they also enjoy plenty of vacation time around the Christmas season as well. For Mediterranean countries like Italy, for instance, they love nothing more than midday siestas, wear for 3 to 5 hours the whole country shuts down every day.

Here’s the amount of vacation days we need every year

A poll found the average employee feels like they need a “proper vacation” every 110 days to keep their sanity intact.

It doesn’t say how long the break has to be.  Just a nice stretch where you’d burn a few vacation days.

It was part of a poll where just 18% said they always use up their paid time off.  The average person will leave five extra vacation days on the table this year, even if they won’t roll over to 2025.

Even when we do use our vacation days, we’re not necessarily relaxing.  On average, less than 40% of that time is used for rest and relaxation.

The top things we use those days for are:  Vacations . . . personal time at home . . . doctor’s appointments . . . staycations . . . family emergencies . . . running errands . . . and childcare. 

So make sure that you use all of your vacation time wisely every year, everyone in your life will be happy.

(SWNS)

Bob is a native New Englander, growing up (sorta) in Maine where his love for radio started at a young age. While in high school he hosted radio shows on a local radio station, and he has never looked back. Bob joined the US Navy and served onboard the Sixth Fleet Flagship as a radio and TV host. After serving for 3 years, it was off to Emerson College in Boston. Bob hosted shows in Boston on WMEX, WVBF and WSSH in the 80’s and 90’s before heading to radio stations in Raleigh, NC, Manchester, NH, and New York City. Bob has been married for almost 25 years to Carolyn, a Woburn gal and they have 3 daughters, Nicole, Taylor, and Bridget. Bob and Carolyn are proud first-time grandparents to baby Caroline, who they plan to spoil every chance they get! “I started my career in New England and could not be happier to come back to Boston where I can root for all the Boston sports teams and eat lots of lobster rolls and clam chowder (okay not lots)… It is an honor to host the WROR morning show with LBF and wake up the World’s Greatest City!” Bob writes about recipes and restaurants, pop culture and trending topics.

Americans Take the Least Vacation Days in the World—and Almost Half Love It

Happy Fourth of July! The Most Patriotic Way to Celebrate: Catching Up on Work?

Americans Take the Least Vacation Days in the World—and Almost Half Love It!

As the Fourth of July approaches, while you’re enjoying fireworks and barbecues, remember: the most patriotic way to spend it might just be at your computer, catching up on work. Why? Because Americans are workaholics who rarely take a break, and our vacation habits prove it!

A recent report from Expedia reveals that Americans take fewer vacation days than any other country in the world. On average, Americans get 12 vacation days a year, and 53% of us don’t use them all. Despite feeling like we don’t step away enough, two-thirds of Americans say that life is “too busy to plan or go on vacation.”

When comparing our vacation habits to other countries, Japan, which gets fewer paid days off at 11, manages to take all their days and prefer long weekends. Meanwhile, Americans tend to take vacation days in chunks. Only 5% of us take at least one day off a month compared to 32% of Japanese people.

And who takes the most vacation days? The French, with an average of 29 days off a year! That’s two-and-a-half times more than Americans. Yet, 65% of Americans think they deserve more time off, compared to 69% of French people. Over the course of their careers, the average American will let 45 vacation days go unused.

Why Aren’t Americans Taking Their Vacation Days?

It’s incredible to think about how often we hear from older generations that Americans are lazy. Yet, here we are, leading the world in unused vacation days! We get 12 vacation days a year, and half of us don’t use them. Meanwhile, the French are on vacation almost a month every year, and they still think it’s not enough! Next time someone calls Americans lazy, remind them we’re the pizza-denying heroes of the workforce.

Why Are You Not Taking Time Off?

We asked our listeners why they aren’t taking their vacation days. Here are some of their responses:

  • Guilt

    “I feel guilty leaving my team short-handed, especially during busy seasons. It’s hard to justify a break when the workload is so high.” – Sarah from Dedham

    via GIPHY

  • Too much work

    “My workload is too high, and no one else can cover for me. If I take time off, I’ll come back to a mountain of work.” – Mike from Natick

    via GIPHY

  • No Money

    “I don’t have the money to go anywhere, so I end up just working through my vacation days. It feels pointless to take time off just to stay home.” – Lisa from Norwood

    via GIPHY

  • Boss discourages it

    “My boss doesn’t encourage taking time off. There’s always an underlying pressure to stay on top of things, even during vacations.” – Dave from Braintree

    via GIPHY

  • I don't WANT TO!!!

    “I actually love my job and prefer working. Taking time off makes me feel like I’m missing out on important developments.” – Karen from Westwood

    via GIPHY

  • Vacations are too stressful

    “Planning a vacation is too stressful. The idea of organizing everything just makes me want to stay at work where it’s predictable.” – Sam from Canton

    via GIPHY

  • Freelancer

    “I’m a freelancer, so no work means no pay. I can’t afford to take time off without it impacting my income.” – Rachel from Walpole

     

    via GIPHY

  • Nothing to do

    “I don’t want to use vacation days for staying at home. If I’m going to take time off, I want it to be for something special.” – Joe from Wellesley

    via GIPHY

  • Final Thoughts

    So this Fourth of July, maybe skip the work emails and enjoy the fireworks. Or at least take a break from being “lazy” long enough to prove them wrong with some good old American overachievement. Let’s aim to use those vacation days, even if it means planning long weekends like our Japanese friends. After all, a well-rested worker is a more productive worker.

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Author Bob Bronson
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