1.
American Workers’ Time Off Survey
December 13, 2012

2.
SURVEY BACKGROUND
Slide 2

3.
Methodology & Background
• Adecco Group North America’s Q4 Survey captures a snapshot of how Americans use their time off
from work, as well as their attitudes toward how colleagues use their time off.
• Telephone survey of 522 full-time* workers
• Fielded by Braun Research
• Conducted November 21-25, 2012
• Differences between various demographics groups were also explored:
• Gender
• Age
• Geographic Region
• Marital Status
• Parental Status
• Survey results have a margin of error +/-4.3% for this sample size.
*Defined full-time by state requirements
Slide 3

4.
Key Findings
Many workers admit to taking sick days, bereavement, or jury duty as additional vacation time
•More than one-third (36 percent) of workers are allotted more than three weeks of vacation per year.
Despite this, workers still want more – 44 percent would be happy with one or two additional weeks of
vacation and one in five (22 percent) would want three or more.
• Workers in the South (43 percent) are happiest with their current vacation package – nearly double
those in the Northeast (23 percent) and nearly triple those in the West (15 percent).
• Workers with children (40 percent) are also more likely than those without children (22 percent) to
be happy with their current vacation package.
•Three in four (75 percent) workers have not used all of their allotted vacation time for the year, while only
one in four (25 percent) have used it.
• Of those who have not used all of their vacation time yet this year, almost two in five (39 percent)
plan to use their time by the end of the year, while more than one in four (26 percent) will let it roll
over into 2013.
Many workers admit to taking sick days, bereavement, or jury duty as additional vacation time
•Almost half (47 percent) of workers admit to using sick days as vacation days.
•However, many more workers (72 percent) judge their colleagues – thinking they take advantage of their
sick days (i.e., use them when they’re not actually sick).
•Surprisingly, more than a quarter (26 percent) have taken bereavement days and jury duty (27 percent)
as vacation time.
•Men are nearly twice as likely to use bereavement time (34 percent vs. 18 percent women) and nearly
four times more likely to use jury duty (40 percent v. 11 percent women) as vacation days.
Slide 4

5.
Key Findings
Some workers are upset by the negative impact the absence of co-workers has on them
•Nearly one in five (17 percent) workers have been denied vacation time in the past.
• Of those who were denied vacation time, about a third (31 percent) were denied because their
co-workers had requested time off before they did.
•Nearly one-third (29 percent) of workers get upset with their co-workers if they take multiple long
weekends off, while slightly fewer (23 percent) feel like their colleagues judge them when they take any
time off.
•A quarter (25 percent) of workers get upset with their co-workers if they leave the office early.
•Women (25 percent) are significantly more likely than men (11 percent) to be jealous of co-workers’
time off.
•Workers think it’s fine for their colleagues to take off two weeks in a row for vacation (46 percent) or a
honeymoon (54 percent). However, they are distinctly tougher when it comes to others taking vacation
time for doing good or to care for a sick family member. Workers think only two days is acceptable for
volunteering (35 percent) and staying home with a sick child (29 percent).
• Interestingly, almost one in four (24 percent) men think it’s fine to take three or more weeks of
sick time, compared to 9 percent of women.
• Men are also more likely to think taking two or more weeks off is fine to volunteer (27 percent v. 7
percent women) or to stay home with a sick child (29 percent v. 15 percent women).
•When their colleagues are out of the office, the majority (63 percent) of workers have an increased
workload and nearly half (44 percent) have increased responsibility.
Slide 5

6.
Key Findings
Younger workers receive less vacation time but feel judged when they want to use it
•Almost half (45 percent) of workers ages 18-24 are allotted one week or less of vacation time per year,
but many (36 percent) feel like their colleagues judge them when they use it.
•While they do not receive as much vacation time as their older counterparts, almost half of younger
workers (45 percent) are jealous of their co-workers’ time off.
• Almost as many (43 percent) are also upset when their co-workers leave the office early.
•When their co-workers are out of the office, younger workers are burdened by an increased workload
(74 percent), increased stress (46 percent), and longer work hours (45 percent).
Slide 6

7.
Workers long for more vacation days and
sometimes use non-vacation days as time off
MAIN FINDINGS
Slide 7

8.
Many workers are allotted three weeks or more
of vacation but may not have used it yet
Of those who have not used all of their vacation time, 39 percent plan to use their time by
the end of the year, while 26 percent will let it roll over into 2013.
How much vacation time are you allotted?
Q1) How much vacation time are you allotted? (N=522)
Q2) Did you use all of your vacation time this past year? (N=522)
Did you use all of your vacation time this past year?
Slide 8

9.
Workers would be happier with more vacation time
Forty-four percent of workers would be happy with one or two additional weeks of
vacation and nearly a quarter (22 percent) would want three or more.
How much more time off would you need to be happy with your vacation package?
Workers in the South (43 percent) are
43 percent)
Workers in the South (43 percent are
43 percent
happiest with their current vacation
happiest with their current vacation
package – nearly double those in the
package – nearly double those in the
Northeast (23 percent) and triple
23 percent)
Northeast (23 percent and triple
23 percent
those in the West (15 percent).
15 percent).
those in the West (15 percent
15 percent
Workers with children (40 percent) are also
40 percent)
Workers with children (40 percent are also
40 percent
more likely than those without children (22
22
more likely than those without children (22
22
percent) to be happy with their current
percent to be happy with their current
percent)
percent
vacation package.
vacation package.
Q3) How much more time off would you need to be happy with your vacation package? (N=522)
Slide 9

10.
Some workers are taking advantage of vacation time
More than a quarter of workers take jury duty (27 percent) or
bereavement (26 percent) as vacation days
In addition to your vacation days, which of the
following days off do you use as vacation days?
Almost half (47 percent) of full -time
47 percent)
Almost half (47 percent of full -time
47 percent
workers admit to using sick days as
workers admit to using sick days as
vacation days. However, many more (72
72
vacation days. However, many more (72
72
percent) judge their colleagues – thinking
percent judge their colleagues – thinking
percent)
percent
they take advantage of their sick days.
they take advantage of their sick days.
Men (40 percent) are nearly four times
40 percent)
Men (40 percent are nearly four times
40 percent
more likely than women (11 percent) to
11 percent)
more likely than women (11 percent to
11 percent
use jury duty as vacation days.
use jury duty as vacation days.
Men (34 percent) are nearly twice as
34 percent)
Men (34 percent are nearly twice as
34 percent
likely compared to women (18 percent)
18 percent)
likely compared to women (18 percent
18 percent
to use bereavement days as vacation
to use bereavement days as vacation
days.
days.
Q6) In addition to your vacation days, which of the following allotted days off do you use as vacation days? (N=522)
Q11) Do you think people take advantage of their sick days (i.e., use them when they're not actually sick)? (N=522)
Slide 10

11.
Some workers are upset by the negative impact
the absence of co-workers has on them
MAIN FINDINGS
Slide 11

12.
One in five workers has been denied time off in the past
Of those who were denied vacation time, almost a third (31 percent) were denied because their coworkers had requested time off before they did.
Have you ever been denied vacation
time?
Q4) Have you ever been denied vacation time? (N=522)
Q5) Why were you denied the vacation time? (N=522)
Why were you denied vacation time?
Slide 12

13.
Workers are negatively impacted when colleagues are out of the office
Women (25 percent) are significantly more likely than
25 percent)
Women (25 percent are significantly more likely than
25 percent
men (11 percent) to get jealous of co-workers’ time
11 percent)
men (11 percent to get jealous of co-workers’ time
11 percent
off.
off.
How are you impacted when your colleagues are out of the office?
I have an increased workload
I have to work longer hours
My personal life is impacted
63%
34%
11%
I have increased responsibility
I feel more stress
44%
29%
Q7) Please indicate if you agree / disagree with each of the following statements. (Choose all that apply) (N=522)
Q9) How are you impacted when your colleagues are out of the office? (N=522)
Slide 13

14.
Many workers have expectations about how much time
is acceptable for co-workers take off
How many days in a row do you think is acceptable for your colleagues to take off for the following?
2 or More
Weeks
Vacation days – More than two weeks
Honeymoon – More than two weeks
64%
64%
1 Week or
Less
Sick time – One week or less
Home with sick child – One week or less
Volunteering – One week or less
73%
72%
59%
Men are more
compassionate than
women when it
comes to taking time
off
Interestingly, nearly a quarter (24
24
Interestingly, nearly a quarter (24
24
percent) of men think it’s fine to
percent of men think it’s fine to
percent)
percent
take three or more weeks of sick
take three or more weeks of sick
time, compared to only 9 percent
time, compared to only 9 percent
of women.
of women.
Men are also more likely to think
Men are also more likely to think
taking off two weeks or more is
taking off two weeks or more is
fine to volunteer (27 percent v. 7
27
fine to volunteer (27 percent v. 7
27
percent women) or to stay
percent women or to stay
women)
women
home with a sick child (29
29
home with a sick child (29
29
percent v. 15 percent women).
women
percent v. 15 percent women).
women
Q8) How many days IN A ROW do you think is acceptable for your colleagues to take off for the following? (N=522)
Slide 14

15.
Younger workers receive less vacation time
but feel judged when they want to use it
MAIN FINDINGS
Slide 15

16.
Younger workers receive less vacation time and
sometimes get upset when co-workers take vacation
45%
18-24 year olds are allotted one week or
less of vacation time…
Many younger workers are upset when their
coworkers are out of the office*
I am jealous of my coworkers' time
off
I get upset with my coworkers if
they leave the office early
…much less than their older peers.
Percentage who get one week or less of vacation,
broken out by age group:
25-34 – 15 percent
35-44 – 7 percent
45-54 – 10 percent
55+ – 4 percent
45%
43%
I get upset with my coworkers if
they take multiple long weekends
off
40%
I get upset with my coworkers if
they take off two weeks from work
in a row
40%
0% 10 20 30 40 50
% % % % %
*N=120 (workers ages 18-24)
Q1) How much vacation time are you allotted? (N=522)
Q7) Please indicate if you agree / disagree with each of the following statements. (Choose all that apply) (N=522)
Slide 16

17.
Younger workers feel burdened when colleagues are out of the office
but judged when they take time off for themselves
Younger workers are negatively impacted
when their colleagues are out of the office*
One in three young workers feels judged by their
colleagues when they take time off themselves
Percentage who feel judged when taking time off
25-34 – 32 percent
35-44 – 24 percent
45-54 – 21 percent
55+ – 8 percent
*N=120 (workers ages 18-24)
Q9) How are you impacted when your colleagues are out of the office? (N=522)
Q10) Do you ever feel like your colleagues are judging you for taking time off? (N=522)
Slide 17

18.
American Workers’ Time Off Survey
December 13, 2012