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Are you thinking about introducing paid leave or reviewing your existing policy? There is a range of considerations to take into account when doing so. For example, you need to decide how to include time off in employee work schedules and how vacation pay is earned. You also need to choose whether to offer separate paid leave for sick time or a pool of paid time off (PTO) days.
One of the hardest decisions is often how many days of paid vacation to offer employees. Offering too few can affect your employee’s morale. It can also increase turnover and make you an unappealing employer in the competitive talent market.
As a starting point, it’s helpful to look at the average number of vacation days per year for American workers. In this article, we take a closer look at paid vacation leave in the US—including average vacation days per year.
📈 Numbers You Need to See:
- 28 million Americans don’t get any paid vacation or paid holidays (Zippia)
- In 2021, 33% of private industry employees received 10-14 days of paid vacation after one year on the job – this is considered the norm for most American businesses (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- In 2022, more than half of Americans (55%) didn’t use all of their paid time off, which increased 27.8% from 2018 (Zippia)
- Around 54% of American workers with PTO used sick days to take a mental health day (Zippia)
- In 2022, less than half of hospitality workers had access to paid vacation leave (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
What Is Paid Vacation?
Paid vacation days are days that an employee can take off from work and still get paid. Employees typically use these days to go on vacation, to rest, or for other personal reasons. The purpose of paid vacation leave generally doesn’t include sickness.
Paid vacation days are different from paid holidays. Paid holidays are specific state or national holidays that employees can take off and be paid for. Typical paid holidays include Memorial Day, Thanksgiving Day, and New Year’s Day.
There is also a difference between vacation days and paid time off. PTO is a broader term than vacation leave. Under a PTO—or a consolidated leave—plan, employers give employees a bank of paid days off for them to use as they wish.
So one employee could use their 20 days of PTO to take 10 vacation days and 10 sick days a year. Another employee could instead use theirs to take 19 vacation days and 1 sick leave day.
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Paid Vacation Leave in the US
The US is one of the few countries in the world that doesn’t require employers to offer paid time off. In fact, the US is the only OECD country without mandatory paid annual leave.
This is unusual when compared to the average paid vacation days per year in other countries.
- Egypt: Employees are entitled to 21 days of paid vacation leave.
- France: Employers must offer at least 5 weeks of paid vacation.
- Sweden: Employees receive a minimum of 25 days of paid leave.
- New Zealand: 4 weeks of paid vacation time is required by law.
- Vietnam: Employees are entitled to a minimum of 12 days of paid vacation leave.
🧠 Did You Know?
Although it’s not a legal requirement, the majority of US employers give their employees paid vacation leave. This is typically either as a stand-alone policy or as part of a PTO policy. According to the US Bureau of Statistics, 79% of private industry workers receive paid vacation leave.
Why Include Paid Vacation Time in Your Leave Policy?
If you’re on the fence about it, there are a range of reasons why you should include paid vacation leave in your PTO policy.
Firstly, it’s essential for supporting your employee’s physical and mental health. Everyone needs a break away from work to rest and for time with their friends and family. Without adequate time off, employees are at an increased risk of burning out.
💡 Pro Tip
Manage PTO requests and approvals with Connecteam’s time off app. Employees can easily request time off, view remaining vacation days, and receive notifications, and you can keep track of it all on one single platform.
From an employee perspective, paid vacation leave is one of the most important benefits an employer can offer. In a 2020 survey by Unum, respondents identified generous paid time off as the top non-insurance benefit. Offering vacation leave helps you remain a competitive employer and attract the best candidates.
Finally, offering your employees vacation leave also benefits you as an employer. Time away from work allows your employees to rest and return to work refreshed, more productive, and more engaged. Employees are also likely to feel more loyalty to an organization that treats them well. This helps improve your employee retention rate.
What Is the Average Number of Vacation Days Per Year in the US?
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average number of paid vacation days is 11 days. This average is based on a US employee working in the private sector, with 1 year of service. Taking weekends into account, this works out to just over 2 full weeks of vacation leave per year.
Many employers increase the paid vacation leave offered to employees the longer they are with the company. For example, in the private sector the average number of paid vacation days after 5 years of service increases to 15 days. After 10 years of service, it rises again to 17 days. For employees with 20 years of service or more, the average number of paid vacation days is 20.
The average paid vacation days per year are different for public sector employees. They also vary between industries and employer types.
💡Pro Tip:
Make sure you fully understand your company’s PTO policy, as well as the various PTO Payout Laws By State.
Factors That Influence the Number of Vacation Days
The type of industry can influence whether or not an employee receives vacation days.
Leisure and hospitality workers are the least likely to receive paid vacation leave. Only 43% of employees in this industry receive paid vacation leave. This is compared to 95% in the manufacturing and financial activities sectors.
Larger companies are also more likely to offer their employees paid time off than small businesses. 92% of private industry workers in a business with 500 or more workers received paid vacation leave. This is compared to 71% in a business of 49 workers or less.
There are other factors you may need to consider when deciding the number of days to offer your employees for paid vacation leave. The nature of the work is one of these factors. A more intense work schedule or environment may warrant more paid vacation leave.
The average number of days your competitors offer for vacation leave is another relevant consideration.
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Do Employees Use All of Their Vacation Leave?
Regardless of how many vacation days you offer your employees, they may not use them all. According to the US Travel Association, in 2018 more than 50% of American workers had unused vacation leave—totaling 768 million days.
Reports suggest this trend is changing. But it’s still important for employers to encourage their employees to use their vacation leave.
📚 This Might Interest You:
Read our in-depth review of the best employee vacation-tracking software.
FAQ
Are PTO and vacation the same?
PTO, or paid time off, and vacation are related but not the same. PTO is a term that includes vacation days, personal days, and sick days, allowing employees to use their allotted time off for any purpose. Vacation, however, specifically refers to days taken for leisure and relaxation. While all vacation days are a part of PTO, PTO encompasses more than just vacation, providing employees with more flexibility to manage their time off as needed.
What is the minimum number of vacation days in the US?
Surprisingly, the answer is zero. The US is one of the few countries without a federal policy mandating companies to provide employees with paid time off. The government leaves it up to each individual company to determine how many vacation days it wants to give its employees.
Do all employees receive paid vacation?
Not all employees receive paid vacation. In the United States, there is no federal mandate requiring companies to provide paid vacation days. The decision to offer paid vacation is typically left to individual employers, and the availability and amount of paid vacation can vary widely. Some employers offer generous vacation packages, while others may offer none.