Paid days off from work aren't a guarantee for many Americans, but even when they do get them, they're leaving them on the table. A majority

Millennials are 'quiet vacationing' rather than asking their boss for PTO: 'There's a giant workaround culture'

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2024-05-23 02:00:05

Paid days off from work aren't a guarantee for many Americans, but even when they do get them, they're leaving them on the table.

A majority, 78%, of U.S. workers say they don't take all their PTO days, and it's highest among Gen Z workers and millennials, according to a new Harris Poll survey of 1,170 American workers.

Younger professionals say they don't ask for time off because they feel pressure to meet deadlines and be productive, and they get nervous requesting PTO because they don't want to look like a slacker, says Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer at The Harris Poll.

Millennials in particular have found workarounds to play hooky. Nearly 4 in 10 say they've taken time off without communicating it to their manager.

Similar shares say they "move their mouse" to show they're still active on their company's messaging platforms (like Slack or Microsoft Teams) when they're not really working, and they've scheduled a message to send outside of regular hours to give the impression they're working overtime.