As many as 58 percent of workers say that they would give up a percentage of their pay in exchange for more time off during the year, according to USA Today. American companies have a reputation for being stingy with adding vacation time to their compensation packages, and the average employee gets just ten paid days each year. What's more, this time often includes sick time which leads to a perverse incentive for them to come into work ill to avoid losing pay.
In addition to less time off, about 40 percent of the workforce clocks more than 50 hours each week and 20 percent rack up over 60 hours. Recently, there has been compelling research showing that employee burnout is a real phenomenon that can lead to decreased productivity over time meaning that adding more vacation time could, paradoxically, improve performance for some businesses.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.