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[entremet]

Generation Y has created an era of “work martyrdom” in the U.S., a new study reveals.

http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-tips/travel-trends/millennial-work-vacation-problem

A report from Project: Time Off, an organization started by the U.S. Travel Association to change American work attitudes and behavior, says increased work pressures and a 24/7 always-on attitude have caused many Americans to increasingly abandon their vacation days. It's estimated that 55% of working Americans didn’t use all of their vacation days in 2015, leaving behind 658 million days of unused PTO.

The decline in vacation day usage began in 2000, just as the oldest millennials—those born around 1980—started to enter the workforce. Project: Time Off’s report, The Work Martyr’s Cautionary Tale: How the Millennial Work Experience Will Define America’s Vacation Culture, says that the youngest generation in the U.S. workforce has created an era of work martyrdom, prioritizing work above family and personal happiness.

Katie Denis, senior program director of Project Time Off, tells Travel + Leisure that “Four out of every 10 employees say they actually want to be seen as a work martyr by their boss. But at home, it is a different story—86% of employees believe it is a bad thing to be seen as a work martyr by their family.”

In a survey of more than 5,600 working Americans, Project: Time Off asked them how much they agree with these four statements:

“No one else at my company can do the work while I’m away.”
“I want to show complete dedication to my company and job.”
“I don’t want others to think I am replaceable.”
“I feel guilty for using my paid time off.”
Nearly half (48%) of the millennials surveyed said it is a good thing to be seen as a work martyr by the boss, far outpacing the average (39%), Gen Xers (39%), and Baby Boomers (32%).

This mirrors a recent study from Alamo Rent a Car, which found that millennials are the most likely to make others feel a sense of shame for taking a vacation or “vacation shame.”

Some quick refutation to this article since I'm both at the older end of this group and have hired those in younger end.

-This is the Generation that saw the 08 collapse. They know that employment isn't guaranteed, nor is job security. So how do they react, they're paranoid. They try to make themselves indispensable. And American work culture rewards these people.

-Many of these kids have ridiculous student debt that they can never bankrupt. They're living with their parents and some can't even afford moving out with roommates due to their student loan debt. How are they're gonna afford fancy vacations?

-A good portion of the new job opportunities are in the start up sector, which tends to breed very unhealthy work/life balance.

It almost seems that these blame Millennial articles forget to see how the world has changed:

Housing is more expensive.
Jobs have moved to urban centers which are more expensive to live.
Wages haven't really grown much since the 70s.
Companies can layoff and fire at will.
College itself is amalgamation of academics and job training. It serves too many masters and does the latter poorly.

How else will a working population react when they're up their eyeballs in debt, could barely afford rent, are scared to death if they do lose their jobs, and see things like marriage, family and homeownership very far goals?

A few generations a couple could buy a home out of HS (not college) and support one on single income. Your job was pretty guaranteed unless you were a fuck up and you could retire with comfort. They were playing life on Easy Mode.

So don't blame Millennials here. They're acting very rationally given these new realities.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Add that to the chalkboard of things we've destroyed.

Edit: Also screw that site for auto playing.

 

[G.ZZZ]

Millennials are to blame for shitty economics policies of the last 50 years exactly how? They've become job slaves for necessity, it's not some "hip" thing. This article is disgusting.

 

[Trojita]

Babyboomers ruin everything, group that has to deal with the problem given all the blame.

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

My company requires us to use all of days each year. I get 10 paid vacation days, 1 paid personal day, and 5 paid sick days. I use it all.

 

[entremet]

Millennials are to blame for shitty economics policies of the last 50 years exactly how? They've become job slaves for necessity, it's not some "hip" thing. This article is disgusting.

I just wonder how blind these people are to the plight of this age group. I've hired and worked with many. They're very hard workers. But man did the older generations did a number on their futures.

 

[Wilsongt]

The problem rests with employers, not employees. My work doesn't stop when I go on vacation. When I accrue vacation time, I will still get work put into my to-do list that I either have to rapidly clear before I leave, or do a lot of late days when I get back.

It's the nature of the world now.

 

[ClosingADoor]

Or they are afraid of being replaced in an increasing competitive workplace, while wages have not grown with productivity and living costs over the last decades. So then they feel the need to show their dedication for job safety.

 

[mugurumakensei]

wait but I thought millennials were lazy. are they both lazy and hard working?

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

I guard my vacation hours for the inevitable sick days throughout the year. I usually get quite a few.

Most people I know aren't making enough money to even think about a vacation.

 

[Tall4Life]

Can't wait to read that Millenials are ruining the drug market for everyone else or something.

 

[teruterubozu]

Hilarious how Millennials write most of these Millennials suck articles. Lots of self-hating in this gen.

 

[entremet]

Hilarious how Millennials write most of these Millennials suck articles. Lots of self-hating in this gen.

Gotta pay those loans!

 

[Red]

Why are millennials always blamed instead of the markets for not adapting?

 

[Tobor]

Anyone who feels guilty for taking their paid time off needs to examine themselves and their job. Always take your time off.

Can't afford a full vacation? Fine. Stay at home. Relax. You still take your time off.

 

[HK-47]

wait but I thought millennials were lazy. are they both lazy and hard working?

Now where have I heard that before...

 

[Trojita]

wait but I thought millennials were lazy. are they both lazy and hard working?

Schrödinger's Millenial

 

[thesoapster]

I'd take more vacation if I had more money to travel...

Costs rising while pay stays stagnant just results in people becoming poorer.

 

[SolKane]

The US is the only advanced economy in the world that has no statutory requirement for vacation time.

 

[Maiorum]

"Blame"? More like "are victim of".

 

[shadowsdarknes]

Anyone who feels guilty for taking their paid time off needs to examine themselves and their job. Always take your time off.

Can't afford a full vacation? Fine. Stay at home. Relax. You still take your time off.

That's under ideal conditions. If you think the company is going to downsize or management doesn't see too much value in your role, then taking vacation could affect job security. If you leave and everything runs just fine and nobody noticed or cared you were gone, then you might want to hold off on vacation and demonstrate the value of your efforts.

 

[mackattk]

So it is the millennials who are the cause of this and not the baby boomers who are taking advantage of people's insecurities and cheap labor because they can? Ugh.. yeah...


It is hard for me to take vacation because my department downsized from 5 people to 1 (just me), and the work keeps on coming. I keep trying to find a new job but there just isn't anything out there right now that I can find that would be a suitable replacement.

 

[Maxim726X]

Or they are afraid of being replaced in an increasing competitive workplace, while wages have not grown with productivity and living costs over the last decades. So then they feel the need to show their dedication for job safety.

It's this, in my opinion.

You have a nice job? Great! Now you have to keep it, because some kid who just graduated and still lives with his/her parents are willing to do your job for significantly less to get their foot in the door.

It's because we're all so easily replaceable. Even in high education/high skill jobs.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

So wait a minute.

According to numerous reports Millennials are entitled and don't want to work, but ALSO don't take vacation?

 

[Trojita]

The US is the only advanced economy in the world that has no statutory requirement for vacation time.

On paper Japan's national holidays might seem pretty good, the actual practice of taking off is pretty bad.

 

[nampad]

USA USA USA!!!

When I was younger I dreamed about working there some time. Now having 28 paid vacation days+overtime (I do a lot), which meant nearly 3 months of vacation this year for me makes me think I just won't fit in there.

 

[Oppo]

this is essentially the main plot background of Generation X (the book).

 

[……forgetit]

USA USA USA!!!

When I was younger I dreamed about working there some time. Now having 28 paid vacation days+overtime (I do a lot), which meant nearly 3 months of vacation this year for me makes me think I just won't fit in there.

Where do you work? Jeez

 

[Shadybiz]

"Blame"? More like "are victim of".

Exactly my thought, yeah. Corporate culture today makes it so you feel like you have to stay past 5:00 or whenever, just so you can show dedication, while taking shorter lunches, and logging on later at home.

That said, I take all of my vacation time. I might take less if I could roll over an unlimited amount, but at my job, you can only roll over 5 days. If I could do more, it would be tempting to bank my days for a year, and take an uber vacation the next. Not in the cards, though.

 

[Davey Cakes]

I never had a single paid vacation day until the beginning of 2015, where my benefits kicked in at my FIRST full-time salaried position.

I'm 28.

Before then, it was all seasonal or temp work that didn't even offer vacation days. So it's not like I even had the opportunity to take days off that weren't unpaid holidays where I was forced to stay home for no pay (including "corporate holidays" which were like a gift to the workers, except temps weren't paid for it while others were).

I worked at a small business from September 2014 to June 2016. I was given 5 paid sick days and 10 paid vacation days per year. I used 4 of the sick days and 6 of the vacation days my first year, while rolling over 4 vacation days into the next. I used those rollover days in the first part of this year and I was trying to figure out a plan to use the next set of 10 for the rest if the year, likely having to rollover again. I was certainly on track to take a reasonable amount of vacation before being laid off.

So, once I actually had the benefits you're damn right I used them. But up to that point the opportunity wasn't quite there.

The thing is, a lot of our generation take temp positions because it's hard to find solid entry-level work. Employers don't want to pay for good, dedicated employees. They want to pay for the bare minimum to get by. So they hire what are basically slaves with no benefits, and they don't seem to give a shit that turnover rate is high due to low job satisfaction and unreasonable expectations.

I can't see how this is a problem with millennials. I'm sure millennials would kill to actually have vacation opportunities and to work at employers that offer and actively encourage the use of the benefits package in general.

 

[Fudgepuppy]

I'm so tired of the word millennial.

 

[Vicetrailia]

You know my wife really wants me to move to Germany. I might do that.

I've been doing "temp to hire" work in manufacturing for the last 4 years with internships inbetwen as I get through college in engineering. My first day of this fall semester I took off for the first time, a job I've been at for over 90 days, and I get told that I'm missing too many days (My first day, never late). Lord knows man. It's not me. I've had two three day vacations in 4 years. Never had benefits.

 

[Sheroking]

Wait, aren't we supposed to be super lazy? Hasn't that been one of the "those damn millennials" complaints over the years?

 

[Amory]

Saying we're to "blame" is a fucked up way to put it

 

[ThoughtsOfSpeaking]

I can't speak for American culture as an authority as I do not live there, but I do think rampant consumerism is also a factor.

Obviously its foolish to tar people with broad brushes, but I do feel the millennial generation are less reluctant to give up their luxury goods and activities unless they absolutely have to.

This in turn leads to more people being in debt to fund lifrstyles they can't afford, which in turn leads to having to work every hour under the sun to get by.

Compare that to our parents generation where many people would forgo creature comforts just to service their bills, even if it made them miserable. I'm sure you all have aunts and uncles that have homes that haven't seen a lick of redecoration for 30 some years:- something that seems almost alien now.

 

[Jinkies]

I am guilty of this, rarely taking the time off that I am allotted in a year. When I do, I can occasionally be found working on that time!

It pays off, though. I don't regret it.

 

[mikeamizzle]

This is incredibly sad, I basically work to look forward to the couple times a year I can get away for a couple days... The federal government needs to mandate paid vacation because this trend is only going to accelerate...

Why won't the presidential candidates talk about this?? Ugh.
(A millennial who doesn't view himself as a drone)

 

[richiek]

European countries get a mandatory one month paid leave, right? Man, that's awesome.

 

[30yearsofhurt]

The more I hear about these confounded millennials the less I like them.

 

[elrechazado]

Millennials don't need vacations because they wear hoodies, grow beards, and do nothing but eat free food and play ping pong at their entitled web 4.0 jobs.

 

[Breads]

Going to be interesting to see how big the list grows on things blamed specifically on millennials instead of, you know, the actual times we're living in.

 

[Mr Swine]

Isn't this going to make millennials burn out if they don't take enough vacation? That can't be good for their health :/

 

[Brawly Likes to Brawl]

First we suck because we're too lazy and now we suck because we aren't lazy enough.

 

[mikeamizzle]

Isn't this going to make millennials burn out if they don't take enough vacation? That can't be good for their health :/

Short answer, yes. It's not sustainable.

 

[Master_Funk]

Where do you work? Jeez

Here in the UK, around 25 days leave plus bank holidays is pretty standard. I can't imagine cutting that down to 10.

 

[Pickman]

I can kind of get behind the "nobody can do my job" angle.

The portion of my job that is time-sensitive is really quite simple and I could train anyone in it in about 2 days. The company refuses to let anyone take time off their tasks to learn to be my backup. An example of this biting them in the ass was when I was sick last Thursday and the whole machine screeched to a halt, and I had my phone on silent cause I needed to sleep. Woke up to 18 missed calls, and got my ass chewed like bubblegum on Friday when I came into work.

I'm taking 2 days of vacation time starting next Friday and it's got me seriously worried.

 

[Wilsongt]

"Millennials are to blame for x" is the new "x while black".

 

[Incendiary]

Is there anything millenials aren't ruining at this point? Just wait until we're the ones writing all the articles, then we can start blaming the generation after us! A-Ha! Take that!

 

[DedValve]

"Millennials are to blame for x" is the new "x while black".

Millennials don't get killed or sent to prison just for walking on the street. What an outrageous and offensive comparison.

 

[SillyEskimo]

USA USA USA!!!

When I was younger I dreamed about working there some time. Now having 28 paid vacation days+overtime (I do a lot), which meant nearly 3 months of vacation this year for me makes me think I just won't fit in there.

I live and work in the US and I can save up to 500 hrs of PTO if I want. I currently have 90 hrs saved but I've taken 6 weeks of vacation so far this year, two of those were taken 2 weeks consecutively. By Xmas I'll have around 200 hours in the bank again.

#notallamericans