Paid Time Off Practices in Three Countries: Who Fares Best?

Paid time off was a lot different before we all had a cell phone and a laptop and could still keep tabs on our work. We wanted to understand PTO practices in three key countries, with a focus on the amount of vacation time allotted & used, attitudes towards work while on vacation, and stress levels after returning to the office. Below, are the key findings among the 1,186 Americans, 1,125 Canadians, and 1,227 UK residents we surveyed.

In brief, those in the UK tend to receive the most PTO, are most apt to use all of their vacation time in a given year, and to fully unplug from work while out of office. At the other end of the spectrum, Americans are least likely to use all of their PTO and when they do go on vacation, nearly half still work in some capacity.

The top barriers for Americans when it comes to taking time off work? Workload, followed by the cost of travel and feeling guilty stepping away from work.

Also of note, roughly half in each country tend to return to work after PTO only slightly relaxed and recharged.

Curious to gain timely insights among residents of specific countries? We’d love to help you out.