No sooner had Citigroup announced its new sabbatical policy—12 weeks at 25% pay for employees who’d been at the bank at least five years—than the debate erupted: In the highly competitive world of finance, would it be a career-killer to take advantage of that kind of deal?
I’m not surprised some people asked. In 2018, the average American full-time employee earned 23 paid days off a year, but only used 17 of them, according to a study funded by the nonprofit U.S. Travel Association using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Bureau of Economic Analysis.
That’s six days of PTO left on the table—the equivalent of handing a week’s salary back to your employer. When you consider that the U.S. has the rich world’s stingiest vacation policies, this becomes even more depressing.
Other forms of paid leave—like family leave—also see a significant number of people leaving time on the table. Especially men. Clearly, Americans think they can’t afford to take time off, even when their companies are paying them to take it.
But in many years of looking, I’ve seen no data to suggest that such fears are justified. Some research on Americans who take their vacation time, for example, shows that they are more likely to get a raise or promotion—not less. Admittedly, this finding also comes from the USTA study, and it only shows correlation, not causation. Maybe only geniuses feel entitled to take all their vacation time. Nonetheless, it should help assuage the fear that taking time off might hurt your career.
Nor will logging longer hours help you. In fact, another study—this one an academic, peer-reviewed one—found that managers couldn’t tell the difference between those who actually worked 80 hours a week and those who were only faking it.
Rest really does improve performance, mainly by nipping burnout in the bud. It’s been well documented that overwork has cognitive, physical and interpersonal costs, which can easily translate into lost productivity.
Cynics tend to think that paid time off is something companies offer to attract talent, and then punish employees for actually using. But in the case of Citi’s offer, I think it pays to take the company at its word: “People just sometimes need a break.”
Taking a break might even remind your colleagues how much value you contribute. I know that’s my reaction to any coworker returning from a break, whether a short or long one: Thank goodness you’re back! This place has been a mess without you!
OK, I may have persuaded you to take your vacation time before it evaporates. But what about a longer break, like a 12-week sabbatical?