A guilt-free break from work is needed for health - and productivity
Amy Wu says it's vital for people to take a holiday, even though job-security fears and a 24/7 work culture stop many from doing so
It took a while to get over the guilt of taking a holiday. "Don't be silly," a good friend, of all ethnicities, an Italian, told me. "Life is short, you need to recharge." It's easy for Italians to say that; they are legally entitled to 30 paid days off a year.
While dithering, I painstakingly reminded myself that I was entitled to a holiday after a marathon work season, burning the midnight oil at weekends.
When my sister suggested we take a week-long vacation, I was still undecided. In an uncertain US economy, who has time for a vacation? Who even has time for lunch? A growing number of my colleagues and I have been eating at our desks, believing that means we are more productive.
I am far from alone in fearing a holiday commitment. Since the economy went south in 2008, I know very few Americans who feel secure enough to take a break, given the very real possibility that, when they returned, their job description would have been changed, their hours shortened, or their position swiftly filled. As one boss reminded me, "no one is irreplaceable".
The US is the only developed country without a single legally required paid vacation day. One in four Americans does not have a single paid day off, according to the Centre for Economic Policy and Research.
Most companies have been slow to address the issue, if they have done so at all. In my 20 years of working, the majority of companies have granted 10 days of paid vacation, with an additional five days after five years of service. Most do not allow the days to be rolled over to the next financial year.
