--- title: "Paid Time Off: Employees' Happiness and Their Utilization" description: A recent survey found that most employed Americans are satisfied with their company's PTO policy, but most don’t use the maximum allowed days. image: https://blog.nisbenefits.com/hubfs/blog-headers/pto-b.jpg --- ![Paid Time Off: Employees' Happiness and Their Utilization](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/hubfs/blog-headers/pto-b.jpg) # Paid Time Off: Employees' Happiness and Their Utilization - Home - [Employee Benefit News for School, City and County Employers](https://blog.nisbenefits.com) - Paid Time Off: Employees' Happiness and Their Utilization [ Bill Disch ](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/author/bill-disch) 06/06/2024 [ Health Insurance Solutions](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/health-insurance-solutions), [ Ancillary Benefits](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/ancillary-benefits), [ Legislative News](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/aca-other-legislative-news), [ Mental Health](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/mental-health) [0 Comments ](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/employee-pto-utilization#postComment) 1 Minutes *1.5 minute read* A recent [Harris Poll survey](https://theharrispoll.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/OOO-Culture-Report-May-2023.pdf) found that most employed Americans are satisfied with their company's paid time off (PTO) policy, but 3 in 4 didn't use the maximum allowed days. On average, U.S. workers receive 11-30 PTO days per year, yet most only took 15 paid days off last year. The top reasons for using PTO were vacation and health-related reasons.   ## **Key Survey Findings** Here are some key findings from the survey: - 83% of Americans are satisfied with their company’s PTO policy - 60% are given more than 10 PTO days annually - 7% have an “unlimited vacation policy”. Thirty-two percent of American workers indicate that “unlimited vacation policy” means more than 30 days off. - 78% don’t use their maximum PTO allowed by their employer. The average worker took 15 paid days off last year despite 49% being allowed to take off more. - The main barriers to workers taking more time off are the "pressure to always be available and responsive to demands" (31%) and "heavy workload" (30%). Despite taking time off, 60% of workers struggle to disconnect from work, with 86% checking emails and 56% taking work-related calls. Many feel guilty about taking time off, especially Millennials and Generation Z who fear employer reactions and career implications. Some millennials admitted to using workarounds like moving their mouse to appear active or taking time off without informing their manager.   ## **Employer Takeaway** Despite more employers expanding their PTO policies, workplace culture and workload pressures influence working American's benefit usage. To combat burnout, employers should foster a company culture that encourages taking PTO. Workers struggle to balance work and personal time, so building a supportive culture is key. Employers should continue to monitor trends to make informed decisions on employee benefits. Download the [bulletin](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/hubfs/blog-supporting-docs/bulletin-pto-survey.pdf) for more details. 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