Why vacations are worth it

       One of my former law school classmates works as in-house counsel for a company in Austria. Before talking to her about her work-life balance I already knew that Americans get less vacation days than their European counterparts on average. However,  I didn't realize the actual disparity until she revealed that she gets 6 weeks off every year and her company encourages her to take 100% of it. Her situation is not unusual for Austria, since the minimum mandatory number of vacations days by law is 5 weeks. After double checking, it appears that all the European Union countries have a range of 4-5 weeks of mandatory vacation. South Africa even requires that the vacation be 21 consecutive days. Wouldn't that be nice? My former classmate said that her employer was super accommodating about shifting her workload during her 5 week trip she was planning. It's the law after all.

        In contrast to countries that have legislated vacation, the U.S.  has zero mandatory vacation days. One of my sisters doesn't get paid for vacations or holidays even though she works full-time, which is the case with about a quarter of American workers. We are truly the no vacation nation as shown on the chart below:

        Americans get fewer vacation days than nearly all developed countries and even then we don't use them all on average! There may be some angst about job security, but you have to take your vacation days no matter how few they are!  After leaving my last job where I started at 2 weeks paid vacation, I had to negotiate to get a 3rd week at my new job. I use every last day every year, since I'd lose them if I didn't.

        I should provide the caveat that I just returned from vacation about 2 weeks ago. My vacation allowed me to gather my thoughts on topics I rarely have time to consider without the distraction of work, allowed me to break the monotony of my routine, and to travel to places I haven't been. My first week back to the office was hectic especially with some additional domestic travel mixed in, but my mind was refreshed and my burnout gone. I also appreciate the United States even more every time I leave the country.

       What do the studies say? You'll be at less risk of heart attacks, stress levels will be lower, you'll be less likely to be depressed, and you'll be happier. Even if you don't travel, taking time off of work can provide these benefits. A 2006 study by Ernst & Young found that each 10 hours of vacation taken leads to 8 percent of increased productivity. In 2007 Business Week reported that the lack of vacation time leads to increased errors at work and workplace resentment.

       The point of all this is that if you have vacation time, use it! At a minimum, you'll get some of this: