Are you nervous about taking a day off work? Here's why others are jittery about PTO

More than half of U.S. workers recently surveyed say they feel some anxiety about taking all the paid time off they’re entitled to – and a third of them say they’re pressured not to use all of their PTO.

About 9% of workers said their employers actively discourage them from taking all the time off they’re owed.

On vacation? Many Americans work on holidays.

That’s according to a recent poll of 1,003 employed workers conducted on May 7 by Pollfish for LiveCareer, a job search service provider.

The takeaway for the survey results: While companies can grant time off, workplace culture can send a different message. Leadership behavior can also speak louder than official policies, according to LiveCareer.

Can't see our graphics? Click here to view them.

Why aren't workers taking time off?

The findings echo those of a Pew Research poll conducted in February 2023. While 48% of workers surveyed said they take all the time off that’s offered, 46% said they took less time. Of those workers:

Upper-income employees were more likely than their lower-paid counterparts to take less time off than what was offered, Pew said. Among those with a college degree, 51% said they took less time, compared to 41% of those with less education.

About 21% of Black workers say they don't take time off for fear of losing their jobs, while 13% of their White counterparts have the same concern.

Salaried workers, 52%, were more likely than hourly employees, 39%, to take less paid time off, Pew said.

The LiveCareer survey found that 1 in 5 workers say they are less likely to take time off when their manager or leadership rarely does. The survey concluded that employees need "systems, support and security" to feel comfortable in taking time off from work and recharging.

NOTE: A breakdown of the LiveCareer survey's respondents showed 54% male and 46% female. By age, 19% were ages 18–27; 27% were ages 28–43; 27% were ages 44–60; and 27% were ages 61–79.

SOURCE Paste BN Network reporting and research; livecareer.com; Pew Research Center