Pursuit of PTO: Half of Americans feel tied to their emails on vacation

Key takeaways 

• 49% of people admit to checking their email while on PTO, and 35% say they get anxious when requesting PTO days for vacation.
• 26% of workers would consider a lower-paying job if it offered unlimited PTO, while nearly 1 in 5 wouldn't accept a new job without it (19%).
• On average, employees need at least 15 PTO days annually to consider a new job opportunity.
• 85% of employees say using PTO to travel boosts their happiness.
• About a third (32%) use their PTO to visit destinations where they may want to retire.

Unlimited PTO tops the "workplace wishlist" for many employees, with 1 in 5 Americans saying they'd decline a new job if it didn't offer the benefit, according to new Empower research. More than 2 in 5 say all companies should offer unlimited PTO (43%), but despite the popularity, there's not much difference in the amount of time taken off per year, on average: 16 days for those with unlimited and 14 days for those with a limited policy. A two-day difference is small, especially when half (50%) say they'd take off more time if they had an unlimited policy, while nearly 1 in 4 say they'd take less time off (23%). 

Over 4 in 5 workers (85%) say using their PTO to go on vacation increases their happiness, but 35% feel anxious requesting the time off. Nearly half of full-time employees (49%) check their work emails while on PTO, and 42% answer them. In the past year, close to 1 in 5 say they've taken a vacation without using PTO days or telling their supervisor; on average, they admit to doing so four times.

PTO perks & policies 

When it comes to PTO, some employees believe it's tied to time on the job: 77% say the more tenure a person has at a company, the more PTO they should get, and 37% believe unlimited PTO should only be available to more tenured staff. Over 4 in 10 say new employees should have to wait a year before qualifying for unlimited PTO. 

Gen Zers are more likely to support unlimited PTO policies, with 51% believing that all companies should offer it, compared to 32% of Baby Boomers. 

PTO strategies and the 4-day workweek 

Half of people (51%) strategically schedule their PTO days around national holidays to make the most of their PTO usage. About a third (32%) use their PTO to visit destinations where they may want to retire. 

Four-day workweeks are also an attractive benefit, with 16% of employees saying they wouldn't accept a new job without this perk. One in 4 full-time employees are willing to take a pay cut for this arrangement. Of them, 11% say they'd take a cut of over $1,000, and 5% say they'd give up more than $5,000 for the privilege. Gen Zers show the most interest in taking a pay cut for this benefit (31%), and Millennials are most likely to consider taking a cut of over $5,000 (6%) to enjoy a four-day workweek. 

Most desired employee benefits 

More than a quarter (26%) would consider a lower-paying job if it offered unlimited PTO, while nearly 1 in 5 wouldn't accept a new job without it (19%). On average, employees need at least 15 PTO days annually to consider taking a new job. 

Methodology 

Empower surveyed 1,028 full-time employees on July 24, 2024. 

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Fair use statement 

These insights are available for noncommercial sharing with a citation link.