Blame America's Pitiful Vacation Policy for Burnout
Mandated days off won't magically ease the stresses workers face, but it would be a helpful start.
More of this, please. Photographer: Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP
The US has a pitiful vacation policy: It’s the only country out of 21 of the richest nations in the world to provide no minimum annual leave, according to the Center for Economic Policy and Research.
US workers are generally entitled to 10 public holidays, but even those aren’t truly guaranteed. Private sector employers are often within their rights to schedule employees to work on holidays such as Thanksgiving, July 4th, and — rather ironically — Labor Day, unless it’s otherwise stipulated in their employment contracts. And even though most US workers are given paid vacation time, close to half report taking less time off than allowed, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.