Most Young Workers Either Don't Get Vacations Or Get Very Little

[Sooner or Later]

Cool toys but I've never seen a hearse with a luggage rack.

And I'm still kickin.

Those long hours translated into long list of benefits.

I never worried about paying for groceries, healthcare, auto repairs, etc. If I needed or wanted something I just paid cash. With 5 weeks vacation a year I took low stress ski trips, sports trips, fishing trips, concerts, and camped/backpacked all over the Rockies. At age 55 I was able to retire without worry. It was such a terrible low stress life that I can't imagine how I ever managed to survive those miserable times.

I did just fine.

I can understand that you have a different makeup than I. Good for you. Make the most of it to live the best life you can. There are different paths to a satisfying life. I chose mine. You be you and be satisfied with yours.

Have a great day!

 

[HenryChinaski]

And I'm still kickin.

Those long hours translated into long list of benefits.

I never worried about paying for groceries, healthcare, auto repairs, etc. If I needed or wanted something I just paid cash. With 5 weeks vacation a year I took low stress ski trips, sports trips, fishing trips, concerts, and camped/backpacked all over the Rockies. At age 55 I was able to retire without worry. It was such a terrible low stress life that I can't imagine how I ever managed to survive those miserable times.

I did just fine.

I can understand that you have a different makeup than I. Good for you. Make the most of it to live the best life you can. There are different paths to a satisfying life. I chose mine. You be you and be satisfied with yours.

Have a great day!

I said nothing about myself, I merely pointed out that you can't take it with you.

 

[Sooner or Later]

I said nothing about myself, I merely pointed out that you can't take it with you.

I know I can't. That is why I still spend money on trips, cars, and eating out. I have a great life at 72.

 

[HenryChinaski]

I know I can't. That is why I still spend money on trips, cars, and eating out. I have a great life at 72.

It's likely not that great as you feel the need to play show and tell.

 

[Sooner or Later]

Lol.

 

[BirdinHand]

It's likely not that great as you feel the need to play show and tell.

Another Boomer chiming in as though the reality Boomers had is the same as what young workers face today.

The single most tone deaf and selfish generation ever.

 

[HenryChinaski]

Another Boomer chiming in as though the reality Boomers had is the same as what young workers face today.

The single most tone deaf and selfish generation ever.

And those that need to brag about themselves know that no one else will.

 

[Sooner or Later]

Hell, I approve and support your choice of lifestyle. No criticism from me.

Why be critical of me when I have been satisfied with mine, past and present?

 

[BirdinHand]

And those that need to brag about themselves know that no one else will.

It’s also indicative of just how out of touch Boomer generation is with today’s reality.

A boomer bragging about how they retired at 55 (17 years ago) isn’t really impressive.

They spent the majority of their careers in a completely different realm and reality than generations coming up behind them. And their priorities were different.

The stereotypical Boomer parent was completely absent. They ran tv ads saying “it’s 10pm, do you know where your kids are”. Parenting consisted of telling kids to “go outside”. To be seen and not heard. Very few attended their kids sporting events, extra curricular activities, etc.

That’s just not how the world works today. And not the priority of people today.

Parents want to have flexibility. They want to be involved and active in their children’s lives. They don’t send their kids out to roam neighborhoods - they actually spend time with them.

Walk around and find a Millenial parent and watch how they interact with their families and how they’re PURPOSEFULLY trying to be different than their boomer parents were - to break what they view as bad cycles.

Boomers are not viewed as good parents or good family examples .

They sure did accumulate wealth - and reaped the rewards financially. But generations raising kids and having families behind them are PURPOSEFULLY trying NOT to be like the Boomer generation.

Hence why they WANT work-life balance.

 

[HenryChinaski]

It’s also indicative of just how out of touch Boomer generation is with today’s reality.

A boomer bragging about how they retired at 55 (17 years ago) isn’t really impressive.

They spent the majority of their careers in a completely different realm and reality than generations coming up behind them. And their priorities were different.

The stereotypical Boomer parent was completely absent. They ran tv ads saying “it’s 10pm, do you know where your kids are”. Parenting consisted of telling kids to “go outside”. To be seen and not heard. Very few attended their kids sporting events, extra curricular activities, etc.

That’s just not how the world works today. And not the priority of people today.

Parents want to have flexibility. They want to be involved and active in their children’s lives. They don’t send their kids out to roam neighborhoods - they actually spend time with them.

Walk around and find a Millenial parent and watch how they interact with their families and how they’re PURPOSEFULLY trying to be different than their boomer parents were - to break what they view as bad cycles.

Boomers are not viewed as good parents or good family examples .

They sure did accumulate wealth - and reaped the rewards financially. But generations raising kids and having families behind them are PURPOSEFULLY trying NOT to be like the Boomer generation.

Hence why they WANT work-life balance.

Bingo.

 

[BirdinHand]

Hell, I approve and support your choice of lifestyle. No criticism from me.

Why be critical of me when I have been satisfied with mine, past and present?

I’m happy you are satisfied.

The choices you made are NOT ones that I would make.

There is absolutely ZERO chance that I’d choose to spend 60+ hours a week working - none. Not unless I absolutely had to. Started my life that way because that was the expectation - and grew to abhor it. It’s not worth it.

Spending time with my son is a MUCH higher priority to me than having fancy cars in the garage. I’m lucky because my husband CAN carry the financial burden - but even he will choose family time over business when possible. And we don’t chase the “things” such as a fancy car or a McMansion house…because time is more important to us than keeping up with the Jones’s


You can’t get the years back. Our son doesn’t get another childhood.

To me? To MANY people with families today - Being at the soccer games, coaching the soccer team, being on the PTO, volunteering at the school, etc…WAY more important.

Businesses today will replace you before your family can even hold a funeral - giving them 60+ hours of your week is foolish.

The rest of the developed world has a much better work-life balance AND protections for workers. Including mandatory PTO.

The US is still worshipping at the knees of billionaires that have convinced Americans that trading 60+ hours of their waking hours a week to slave away for the billionaire owning class is a good idea.

It’s not.

 

[blur]

It’s a half-empty, half-full thing, for better and for worse. There is a reason American workers are the most productive in the world and have been for most of the past century. We work a ton of hours and don’t take the breaks that other nations do. The downside is a stressed out workforce. But the upside is that just about every new major economic sector of the past century was birthed here, usually by teams working 89 hour weeks.

American workers are actually not the most productive in the world. For 2025, we appear to be ranked 10th in the world for productivity: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/most-productive-countries

Switzerland, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, etc. all work less hours than the United States on average, but are also more productive.

The problem is that many workers are required to be on the clock for a certain period of time regardless of whether or not that time is productive.

 

[tharock220]

Traveling for work =\= a vacation.

What a weird statement.

It's an assignment. You get to live and work in one of the two places for six months, your visa expires, and you come home. If you want, you can do it again.

But hey, tell me you've never had that privilege without telling me you've never had that privilege.

You’ve already lost if you’re arguing for the benevolence of corporations to let you take a vacation. Paid time off isn’t a treat you get being a good boy, it’s a legal right.

It's not a legal right at all. Paid vacation, like health insurance and retirement, is part of your compensation. You might find this hard to believe, but corporations are competing for talent the same way people are competing for jobs. When you get past deifying and/or vilifying your employer, you'll eventually arrive at the realization that your work is a transaction.

 

[Sooner or Later]

B i H, I support your decision.

 

[BirdinHand]

But hey, tell me you've never had that privilege without telling me you've never had that privilege

I declined travel as much as I could because I didn’t enjoy it. Not one bit.

In fact, I loathed it.

I had a house, family, friends, pets, a social life. Even when I was single.

Why would I want to put that on the back burner for an employer and an assignment somewhere?

I traveled when I had to. And I avoided it whenever possible.

 

[ElChupacabra]

It’s also indicative of just how out of touch Boomer generation is with today’s reality.

A boomer bragging about how they retired at 55 (17 years ago) isn’t really impressive.

They spent the majority of their careers in a completely different realm and reality than generations coming up behind them. And their priorities were different.

The stereotypical Boomer parent was completely absent. They ran tv ads saying “it’s 10pm, do you know where your kids are”. Parenting consisted of telling kids to “go outside”. To be seen and not heard. Very few attended their kids sporting events, extra curricular activities, etc.

That’s just not how the world works today. And not the priority of people today.

Parents want to have flexibility. They want to be involved and active in their children’s lives. They don’t send their kids out to roam neighborhoods - they actually spend time with them.

Walk around and find a Millenial parent and watch how they interact with their families and how they’re PURPOSEFULLY trying to be different than their boomer parents were - to break what they view as bad cycles.

Boomers are not viewed as good parents or good family examples .

They sure did accumulate wealth - and reaped the rewards financially. But generations raising kids and having families behind them are PURPOSEFULLY trying NOT to be like the Boomer generation.

Hence why they WANT work-life balance.

What I'll add here is the presence of Boomer parents depended a lot on their financial situation as well, since those working in the corporate sector had more options in terms of whether both parents had to work. This is still a reality for those in the lower income ranges as well.

 

[ElChupacabra]

American workers are actually not the most productive in the world. For 2025, we appear to be ranked 10th in the world for productivity: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/most-productive-countries

Switzerland, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, etc. all work less hours than the United States on average, but are also more productive.

The problem is that many workers are required to be on the clock for a certain period of time regardless of whether or not that time is productive.

Yep, and I feel much of this has to do with cultural perceptions about productivity and how it is assessed. In the US there's this warped view that skews heavily on the performative aspect of appearing busy and dedicated. For me it is insane to think taking time off from work is a bad thing.

 

[Decypher]

It's not a legal right at all. Paid vacation, like health insurance and retirement, is part of your compensation. You might find this hard to believe, but corporations are competing for talent the same way people are competing for jobs. When you get past deifying and/or vilifying your employer, you'll eventually arrive at the realization that your work is a transaction.

I don’t live in America. Where I live, paid time off very much is a legal right. I get several weeks off per year regardless of the transactional whims of my employer.

 

[phoenix2020]

American workers are actually not the most productive in the world. For 2025, we appear to be ranked 10th in the world for productivity: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/most-productive-countries

Switzerland, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, etc. all work less hours than the United States on average, but are also more productive.

The problem is that many workers are required to be on the clock for a certain period of time regardless of whether or not that time is productive.

That's labor productivity, very specifically GDP per capital, which is a terrible, incomplete measure as you know, but even if you look at that metric per hour, then account for the three known anomalies (Ireland--tax haven; Norway--sovereign petro wealth fund; Luxembourg--basically a city that should be compared to the GDP per capital of a city like New York or London) then the United States is in fact in a statistical tie at the top of a chart of close to 200 countries.

And of course if you look at a broader definition of productivity, we're the toast of the planet and have been for some time. There's a reason immigrants from all around the world want to come here, and it's not because they believe we have a lazy, unproductive workforce, you know.

American productivity still leads the world

Innovation and a vibrant tech sector continue to give America a competitive edge

www.economist.com

 

[blur]

That's labor productivity, very specifically GDP per capital, which is a terrible, incomplete measure as you know, but even if you look at that metric per hour, then account for the three known anomalies (Ireland--tax haven; Norway--sovereign petro wealth fund; Luxembourg--basically a city that should be compared to the GDP per capital of a city like New York or London) then the United States is in fact in a statistical tie at the top of a chart of close to 200 countries.

Exactly, there are many factors that go into a country's productivity. America has a massive tech industry that boosts productivity (as your article points out), but only around 8% of Americans work in the tech sector. America also has multinational companies who book profits to the US, and even when production happens elsewhere in the world, the profits are attributed to the US head-quarters which will inflate the GDP per worker.

My main point is: more hours doesn't necessarily translate to more productivity. Cambodia, Mexico, Singapore, etc. all clock more hours worked than America, but are less productive.

And of course if you look at a broader definition of productivity, we're the toast of the planet and have been for some time. There's a reason immigrants from all around the world want to come here, and it's not because they believe we have a lazy, unproductive workforce, you know.

American productivity still leads the world

Innovation and a vibrant tech sector continue to give America a competitive edge

www.economist.com

I wasn't claiming that the American workforce was "lazy" or "unproductive" (America being 10th in the world would indicate that we are still more productive than most countries), but that America is not the "most productive" in the world as you initially claimed. The article you linked described America as more productive than "most other countries", but does not claim that they are the "most productive."

 

[Scatty Kitty]

I've worked more than 40 hours a week for as long as I can remember. My first job working for someone else out of high school was in minor league baseball, I don't even know how many hours I worked, it was fun. After that I worked a job 5 days a week and worked 10-12 hours a day. I wanted all the hours I could get because it meant more money. When I went to college after a few years working, I stayed in the same job and still got in 40 ish, hours a week. My wife was doing the same but not quite 40 hours. I worked side jobs on weekends, even when I got a better job in the government. Then I moved on to a job I really loved but it entailed working 60 to 70 hours a week for most of the year. It was what it was, and it paid a very middle class income but it paid bills, and with good money management allowed us to buy a home, in fact 4 homes in total as we moved for new jobs. We saved, invested, spent wisely and now have a very nice retirement.
So all that work, paid off. It also taught my kids that you work for what you want. You put in your time, have a plan and execute it.
I don't feel sorry for anyone who doesn't get out and get busy building a better life, it's on them.

Yeah I've heard prosperity gospel preached before and I've heard it better. No offense but you do realize that you're proving the OP right? You had to work so many hours for things that people in other countries get for far cheaper and better.

 

[Josie]

That's the attitude which is the problem the OP points out, you do realize that right?

When work gives you "vacation," they don't give you money for an airBNB and drinks on the beach. It's a vacation from work.

 

[Scatty Kitty]

When work gives you "vacation," they don't give you money for an airBNB and drinks on the beach. It's a vacation from work.

Which is a problem when as the OP points out, workers don't feel like they can take vacation days in the first place.