Aug 25, 2015 3 min read

Are you back from the Jersey Shore yet? Or Myrtle Beach? Or Ocean City? That’s where we Southwestern Pennsylvanians head for our annual pilgrimages this time of year.

I’ve heard it said that Myrtle Beach is also unofficially the southernmost county of West Virginia. My completely unscientific research suggests eight out of 10 people I know were on vacation at a beach somewhere in late July and August. Where did you go? Or were you one of the only two people who didn’t go on vacation this summer?

As you read this, if all goes according to plan, I will be lounging on the beach and diving beneath the surface in the Florida Keys. I value my vacation time and schedule every possible minute of it to explore new places and enjoy my favorite hobbies, such as skiing and diving. So an article I read recently left me stunned: A growing percentage of Americans are leaving a growing number of vacation days unused.

The article cited a poll showing the average American worker left 4.9 paid vacation days unused in 2013 and failed to carry over 1.6 vacation days to the next year. That’s leaving paid free time on the table, and it’s getting worse.

Research shows workaholic Americans used an average of only 16 vacation days in 2013, compared to a peak of 20 days in the 1980s. Compare that to most European nations, which offer an average of six weeks’ paid vacation as standard fare.

The United States is the only developed economy that does not require employers to offer paid vacation or holidays. In this day and age, how is this possible? Forty percent of Americans say they skip vacation because their workload is too heavy when they return, and 61 percent said they planned on doing some work-related tasks during their supposed time off work.

Some workers claim their bosses view employees who use all of their vacation time as slackers. I’d like to see the statistics on how many bosses leave unused vacation time. Many people say they don’t have the money to spend on a trip, and that’s completely understandable. I love my job so much that it never feels like work. Still, I can’t imagine I’d enjoy a day at the office more than a paid day off to do something around the house or have a picnic.

So, workers of America, this is your wakeup call: When it comes to vacation time, use it or lose it. Work to live, don’t live to work. Consider it a time to revive your spirit and de-stress.

Summer has time left on the clock, which means you can still enjoy a dip in a pool, a day at Kennywood or a day spent with your family doing something other than laboring before Labor Day. You’ve worked hard to earn your vacation days, so I hope you treasure them.

Kristin Emery can be reached at kristinemery1@yahoo.com.