The PTO paradox: Why U.S. workers struggle to disconnect
Paid time off is one of the clearest markers of inequality at work. For many employees — especially salaried workers — it’s a standard benefit, at least on paper. But Buddy Punch’s survey of more than 500 non-managerial employees shows a different reality: While many report access to PTO, many still take very little, feel pressure when they do, and struggle to disconnect once they’re away. And for those without PTO, the stakes are even higher, since time off is often not an option at all.
What emerges is a portrait of PTO as more than just a policy. Paid time off reflects how organizations value their people, whether workplace culture encourages rest, and whether employees can realistically step away.
These findings highlight what employees want from time-tracking systems, and what risks can arise when those expectations aren’t met. Time tracking works best when it’s clear, fair, consistent, and built with employees in mind. This blog examines what workers believe builds trust versus what feels like micromanagement, and how companies can strike the right balance.
Who Gets Time Off, and Who’s Left Out
The story begins with a few simple questions: How much PTO do employees get, and who is more likely to get it? In the survey, 85% of employees report having PTO, yet many claim to receive only a handful of days each year, and 15% stated they have none at all.
How Many Days of Paid Time Off (PTO) Do You Get Per Year?
The differences become more pronounced when you look closer. Part-time employees are four times more likely than full-timers to report getting no PTO (33% vs. 8%), and lower-income workers are far less likely to receive generous leave packages of 16 or more days off per year.
These findings align with those of another study, which found that only 43% of the lowest-wage workers receive paid vacation, compared with more than 90% of higher-wage professionals. Additionally, just 35% of employees have paid sick leave, whereas over 90% of managers and professionals do. National data reveal the same divide in family leave: nearly half of the highest-wage workers have access to paid family leave, compared with just 6% of the lowest-wage workers.
Organization size and structure also play a role. Employees at small companies are the least likely to report substantial PTO, while those at large organizations with more resources report the most. Remote and hybrid employees were also more likely to receive 16 or more days compared with those who are entirely in person.
% of Employees Who Get 16 or More Paid Days Off Per Year
How Employees Actually Use PTO
Of course, having PTO doesn’t always mean using it. A recent study found that nearly half of U.S. workers take less time off than they’re offered, often out of fear of falling behind or burdening their team. Our survey findings echo that hesitation. A sizable share of employees in the survey report holding back on PTO entirely: almost 40% haven’t taken PTO in four months or longer, and 12% say it has been over a year. And while a third of employees (34%) have taken PTO in the past month and another 27% within the past one to three months, most of those breaks were short in duration. Nearly half (47%) used their device for just one to five days a year, and another 27% used it for only six to ten days.
When Was the Last Time You Took Time Off?
The pattern here is clear: PTO is often treated as a safety valve, not a real break. Many employees take it sparingly, while some avoid it altogether, and only a small minority use it in extended periods. For employers, the challenge isn’t just offering PTO; it’s ensuring people feel safe enough to take it in meaningful amounts.
The differences in terms of who takes time off are striking. The survey findings suggest that employees with higher incomes are more confident in using it: 40% of those earning $50k–$74,999 took PTO in the past month, compared with just 14% of those who make under $25k. Full-timers are also more likely than part-timers to both take recent PTO (37% vs. 23%) and avoid being stuck at the “one to five days a year” mark (42% vs. 61%).
These gaps reflect more than just policy — they mirror how economic security shapes behavior. Workers with higher pay or guaranteed hours are more likely to trust that stepping away won’t jeopardize their paycheck or position. Lower-income and part-time employees, on the other hand, often face workplaces where coverage is thin and absence feels riskier, making PTO less of a benefit and more of a gamble.
PTO Without Permission: The Culture Gap
Usage patterns only make sense in context. Behind the hesitation to take time off is a cultural gap based on whether employees feel that PTO is genuinely supported. Although 37% of employees in this research report that their organization actively encourages taking time off, 43% say PTO is technically allowed but not actively encouraged. A notable minority (12%) says the message is even harsher: Time off is available, but it is discouraged in practice.
This encouragement gap is not felt equally by all. Higher-income employees are far more likely to feel supported in stepping away (49% of those who make $50k–$74,999), while only 30–35% of those earning under $50k say the same. Work arrangement also plays a role: nearly half of remote or hybrid employees (49%) feel encouraged, compared to just 34% of those working fully in person.
These divides likely reflect both job security and the nature of the work. Lower-wage and in-person roles are often more challenging to step away from without creating gaps for customers or coworkers, making PTO feel riskier. Remote and hybrid workers, by contrast, tend to hold roles where flexibility is normalized and managers have more tools to redistribute work, sending clearer signals that taking time off is safe and acceptable.
A 2025 Global Workplace report shows that engagement and well-being are tightly linked to whether employees feel supported by managers day-to-day, not just what’s written in a handbook. Culture, not policy, ultimately drives behavior, and when organizations promote PTO in recruiting materials but send mixed signals in practice, employees notice. And they often respond with guilt, hesitation, or suspicion that taking time off could damage their reputation.
The result is a cultural Catch-22: If companies hold up PTO as a symbol of balance, but don’t provide active encouragement, it can feel risky to use. We know that workers today are recalibrating their “worth it” equation, which is what they’re willing to give and what they expect in return. Flexibility, health, and time away are high on that list, and organizations that fail to reinforce them risk both burnout and attrition. And while culture sets the tone, practical obstacles add another layer of difficulty.
What Holds Employees Back from Taking Time Off
Up to this point, the focus has been on employees who technically have PTO but hesitate to use it. Yet barriers don’t fall only along the lines of policy. For employees with PTO, cultural and workload pressures often make rest feel like a risk. And for the 15% without PTO, the barriers are starker: Any time away comes at a direct financial cost. Together, these realities reveal why time off — paid or unpaid — can feel out of reach.
Beyond cultural barriers, employees cite specific reasons that prevent them from taking a step back. The biggest is financial: Over a third worry about the cost of going unpaid, a concern that hits hardest for lower-wage workers and those relying on unpaid leave. But money isn’t the only obstacle. Nearly a third cite a lack of coverage or team support, one in five admit they feel guilty about burdening coworkers, and others point to the stress of heavy workloads, catching up afterward, or falling behind.
Research echoes these themes. National surveys indicate that the top obstacles to taking time off include self-imposed pressure to continue working, the absence of colleagues available to cover work, pressure from managers, and unsupportive work cultures.
The result is that even the act of resting can feel stressful. More than one in four employees describe taking time off as moderately to extremely stressful, citing concerns about coverage, guilt toward their teammates, or worries that their absence could harm their reputation. Instead of returning refreshed, many come back carrying the same stress they hoped to leave behind.
These findings reveal how practical barriers and unspoken expectations combine to make rest feel out of reach, and highlight a dual challenge for employers. On the one hand, financial barriers show how uneven PTO policies can leave certain groups (especially lower-wage workers) with fewer real opportunities to rest. On the other hand, cultural and operational barriers reveal that even employees with PTO may hold back if they don’t feel supported. Without addressing both sides, PTO remains a theoretical benefit rather than a practical one.
How Employees Feel After They Return from Time Off
Even when employees overcome those barriers and step away, the challenge doesn’t end … disconnecting is its own struggle. Only 27% report always feeling truly “off” during time away, and another 32% say they feel that way most of the time. Nearly a quarter of employees (23%) say they only occasionally feel thoroughly off during time away, and another 17% rarely or never disconnect at all. That means even in the best scenarios, a clean break from work isn’t guaranteed. These findings suggest that work pressures often follow employees into their vacations and weekends.
The result is a watered-down version of rest: Employees may technically be away from their desks, but mentally, they’re still tethered to work. Proper recovery requires more than just days on the calendar; it depends on whether organizations create the conditions for employees to step away without worry.
When employees return to work after taking time off, more than half (51%) say they feel grateful for the break, and a third (34%) return recharged and ready to work. Around one-quarter feel clearer-headed (28%) and more motivated (26%), but for some, these positives are undercut by stress on their return. Nearly three in ten (29%) say they feel anxious about catching up, and about a quarter admit they struggle to get back into rhythm or feel immediately overwhelmed. A smaller group (10%) went so far as to say that the stress of returning makes them question whether the time off was even worthwhile. This speaks to a cycle where rest is compromised on both ends: The difficulty of fully disconnecting, and the challenge of reintegration afterward. Instead of returning renewed, employees often come back to a wall of work that undermines the very purpose of taking time away.
PTO Matters for Morale and Retention
Finally, the 15% of employees with no access to PTO stand out as the most vulnerable. For them, even basic needs like recovering from illness, attending family obligations, or taking a mental health day become fraught choices between health and a paycheck. The result is a two-tier workplace: Some employees feel supported, while others sacrifice well-being to keep earning.
A lack of PTO doesn’t just affect rest; it also shapes how employees feel about their jobs. Over half of employees (51%) who don’t get PTO say that it affects their overall satisfaction at least a moderate amount. For a quarter of workers (26%), the negative impact is substantial, signaling a clear risk factor for engagement and retention. Still, nearly half (48%) report little to no effect, indicating that while a sizable portion feels the strain acutely, some employees are relatively unaffected.
Among employees who don’t get PTO, just over two in five (41%) say the lack of paid leave makes them feel undervalued, and over a third (35%) connect it to burnout or exhaustion. Just over one-quarter (28%) say it drags down their motivation or makes them feel their time isn’t respected, while one in four said it makes them more likely to consider leaving their job altogether. Employees perceive the lack of paid leave as a signal that their well-being is secondary, which accelerates burnout and increases the risk of turnover.
Most employees who don’t get PTO believe that access to paid leave would improve their experience at work (71%). This suggests that PTO can be a lever for shaping morale, signaling value, and preventing burnout. For employers, the decision to offer meaningful paid leave policies is also a choice to enhance employee retention and engagement.
Build for Rest, Not Stigma
Time off isn’t just a benefit — it’s a reflection of how organizations value their people. While most employees technically have PTO, fewer feel encouraged to take it, and even fewer can step away without stress or guilt. Organizations have a choice: Treat time off as a checkbox benefit, or actively create cultures and systems that make it usable.
And the stakes are high. When rest is treated as a privilege instead of a norm, fatigue, guilt, and disengagement take hold — especially among those with the least financial security. Research indicates that without adequate time off, workers are at a greater risk of burnout and declining well-being. By fostering a culture that normalizes and protects rest, organizations not only support fairness but also strengthen resilience, morale, and performance.
Methodology
This survey was conducted with 534 U.S.-based adults aged 18 and over who are currently employed full-time or part-time in non-management or self-employed/freelance roles that involve some form of time tracking or monitoring. All respondents had been with their current organization for at least three months. The survey was fielded online from June 30 to July 10, 2025. Results reflect descriptive statistics with no weighting applied.
This story was produced by Buddy Punch and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
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