The Scoop On Unused Paid Time Off (PTO)

In 2023, Pew Research published a fascinating study on PTO in the United States.

On the surface, the number seems strange. The U.S. already lags behind many other countries in average PTO, despite the proven benefits paid leave provides.2 The average American worker clocks about 250 workdays in a year; why would they leave precious family time or relaxation on the table, especially given the high rates of burnout in our workforce? In this blog, I analyze the state of unused PTO using the Pew Research study and provide guidance for employers with this information in mind.

Many readers might be tempted to say that people avoid using PTO because of office politics. Employees who take more time off would look less favorable for crucial promotions or raises, right?

Interestingly, that is not always the case, according to the Pew Research study. In fact, that study showed that only 35 percent of respondents with unused PTO cited job advancement or security as their reason for taking less vacation time. The study concludes that the most popular reasons for leaving PTO unused are:

1. Employees simply don’t feel they need to take more time off (52% of respondents).

2. Employees worry they may fall behind at work (49% of respondents).

3. Employees do not want to give their coworkers extra work (43% of respondents).

Let us cover each of these primary reasons for not taking PTO in more depth.