Most Employees Will Not Use All Their Vacation Time in 2013

Persistent trend can hinder engagement, productivity

For the third year in a row, nearly 70% of North American employees do not plan to use all of their annual vacation time, according to Right Management.

The 2013 online poll of 763 workers found that 69% of respondents will not take all their annual vacation, which is consistent with the 70% reported for both 2011 and 2012. This year, only 31% indicated they will use all their vacation by year’s end.

“Every employee at every level should be encouraged to take time to reenergize, recharge, and relax to be more satisfied and productive on the job,” said Matt Norquist, general manager at Right Management. “The importance of vacation cannot be understated in today’s workplace, when companies are doing more with less and adding workloads to their teams.”

According to Norquist, taking vacation time is a vital part of maintaining job satisfaction, and employees who take time off are more inspired and motivated to do their best work.

“Ultimately, vacations contribute to engaged, loyal, and satisfied employee teams and build a positive workplace culture that not only reduces turnover but also creates a stronger brand image in the market,” said Norquist.