Paid Time Off (PTO) is designed to give employees a break from the demands of work allowing time to rest, recharge, and return refreshed. But for many workers, vacation doesn’t feel like a true break. Thanks to smartphones, laptops, and an always-on work culture, many employees are still answering emails, joining meetings, and completing tasks while they’re supposed to be off the clock. This erosion of real time off has become a growing concern for both employee well-being and organizational health.
A survey by Eagle Hill Consulting, conducted by Ipsos in October 2024, found that nearly a quarter (24%) of U.S. employees reported checking work messages during their most recent vacation, and 5% continued actively working while away. While 58% said they fully disconnected, that still leaves a significant portion of the workforce unable to take the uninterrupted time off they’re entitled to.
The reasons are both cultural and structural. Many employees worry about falling behind or facing a mountain of work upon return. Others feel pressure to remain available due to team expectations or company norms. In some workplaces, critical responsibilities lack backup coverage, making it difficult for anyone to truly step away.
Working while on vacation comes at a cost. Research consistently shows that the benefits of PTO including reduced stress, increased creativity, and improved job satisfaction only materialize when employees fully disengage. If someone is reading emails or troubleshooting problems from a beach or family gathering, their brain never truly switches off. Over time, this leads to chronic burnout, disengagement, and decreased productivity. Ironically these are the very problems vacation is supposed to solve.
Companies have a clear role to play in changing this pattern. Leadership must model healthy boundaries by not sending emails during off-hours or vacations and by encouraging teams to fully disconnect. Organizations should establish policies that clarify expectations around availability, create solid coverage plans, and make it safe for employees to be unavailable while on leave.
Some forward-thinking employers have gone further by disabling email access during vacations or implementing mandatory unplugged PTO policies. These moves send a powerful signal: time off is not only accepted, it’s expected.
The ability to disconnect is no longer a luxury; it’s essential. If employers want engaged, high-performing teams, they must protect the integrity of PTO. Vacation should mean time away from work, not time logged in from a different location.
Source: Eagle Hill Consulting / Ipsos Survey