Go ahead and take that vacation

While paid vacation time has become an expected workplace perk, new research shows Americans are not always using it. In 2017, Americans gave up 705 million vacation days and forfeited 212 million – meaning they couldn’t be rolled over or paid out – equating to $62 million in lost benefits.

This means the average worker gave their employer $561 in “free” work. The main reason? Employees didn’t want to appear replaceable.

However, workers who used most of their paid vacation days to travel reported being happier with their personal lives and health, proof that vacation benefits are called “benefits” for good reason.

– Abby Cooper, The Alaska 100