🌴Vacation Day Guilt: Why We Need to Let It Go

Paid vacation days are not a perk. They’re not a favor. They’re not a privilege bestowed upon you by a benevolent employer. Vacation days are a benefit—just like retirement contributions, health insurance, and life insurance. You earn them. You’re entitled to them. Full stop.

And yet, according to a 2024 Pew Research Center poll, nearly half of American workers don’t take all of their vacation days. Half. It’s a statistic that fits neatly into the hustle‑culture mindset that has seeped into every corner of our work lives. We glorify being busy. We romanticize burnout. We treat exhaustion like a résumé booster.

Meanwhile, workers in many other countries take their time off without a second thought. They unplug. They rest. They understand that stepping away from work is part of being a healthy, functioning human. But here? Too many employees say they feel guilty for using the time they’ve earned. That guilt can come from a boss, a coworker, or even from within.

And then there are the people who brag about not using their vacation days—as if martyrdom is a badge of honor. As if the office will crumble without them. Spoiler alert: it won’t. It never does.

Any workplace that tries to make you feel guilty for taking time off is out of line. A boss, a business, or a coworker who sighs dramatically when you put in for PTO is not someone whose opinion you need to internalize. Because here’s the truth no one wants to say out loud: no matter how good you are at your job, no matter how many late nights you put in, no matter how many weekends you sacrifice—everyone is replaceable. The machine keeps running.

So, take the days. Take all the days.

Go to the beach. Fly to Europe. Book the cruise. Make it a long weekend. Take a road trip with your girlfriends. Or stay home in your pajamas with a stack of books and a DoorDash budget. Rest is rest.

Vacation boosts creativity. It improves mental health. It makes you a better employee in the long run. If anything, your workplace should be encouraging you to take time off because it benefits them too.

So, shed the guilt. Unplug. Step away. Use those vacation days without apology. You earned them—and you deserve the break.