Research summary. In the United States, hard work is proven to be the best option. It’s no wonder that many Americans feel guilty every time they want to quit their job. We received responses from 217 verified, job seekers on Zippia about their retirement plans. Our research found that:
65.4% of women feel guilty about quitting, compared to 54.5% of men.
About two-thirds of the women surveyed said they felt guilty about quitting their jobs. No wonder – The Wall Street Journal reports that women are more concerned about “burdening other people with their requests” at work, so it stands to reason that this applies to time requests as well.
People feel less guilty about requests for time off as they get older – well into their senior years.
New employees are eager to please, which means they also worry about taking time off from work. This may help explain why they feel more guilty about leaving than their older peers.
People who have been there long enough understand that there is no need to feel guilty about leaving. Only half of respondents between 46-55 feel bad about it. However, workers aged 56+ are the worst offenders, possibly due to misconceptions and ageism.
| Age Range | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| 18-25 | 64.3% | 35.7% |
| 26-35 | 62.3% | 37.7% |
| 36-45 | 62.1% | 37.9% |
| 46-55 | 50% | 50% |
| 56+ | 69.2% | 30.8% |
Illness is the most common reason for taking time off from work, with only 4.1% of respondents saying they “don’t take time off”.
71.9% of workers have taken time off work due to illness, which seems a little low. But when you look at how many Americans feel guilty about taking a sick day, it starts to make sense.
Vacations are the most common reason, with 6 in 10 employees taking time off from work to go on vacation.
Important life events – weddings, funerals, graduations, etc. – are the third most common reason people leave the workforce.
Mental health days are very common; about a third of the workers have taken one.
| Because | Share of respondents |
|---|---|
| Getting sick | 71.9% |
| Vacation | 62.7% |
| Important events | 60.8% |
| Mental health | 36.4% |
| Injury | 25.3% |
| Interesting | 14.7% |
| Other | 11.5% |
| Don’t take time | 4.1% |
35% of workers have been sick at work when they were not actually sick.
And only the respondents agree to the practice. In fairness, if an employee feels the need to lie about why they need time off, it probably reflects more negatively on the employer than the employee.
31% of employees fear being left behind when they leave.
It is the most difficult thing that people have. The most worrying thing is not having stress, where only 11.5% of the respondents are able to enjoy their time without stress.
| Anxiety | Share of respondents |
|---|---|
| Backtracking on projects | 30.9% |
| Being seen as lazy by co-workers/boss | 23.5% |
| Things “fall apart” if you don’t have them | 19.8% |
| Being underrepresented/required for work | 14.3% |
| Don’t worry | 11.5% |
53.9% of employees take paid leave at the end of the year.
More than half of respondents who have access to paid vacation policy report leaving some of their PTO unused each year.
61.3% of respondents are more likely to feel guilty about taking a sick day than a vacation day.
This means that almost 60% of people feel sad about being sick more than going on vacation.
Employees may feel less productive when they are sick, and if they are leaving their colleagues behind. With the holidays, you probably have the peace of mind of having a plan for everyone while you’re away.
Many workers do not feel that their employer encourages them to take adequate rest.
54% of the respondents said that their employer did not encourage them to take a break, either verbally or directly.