Insight Bite: Vacationmaxxing. Is your organization good at it?

Why don't more Americans use their PTO?

Insight Bite: July 9, 2026.

Europeans may be the best at “vacationmaxxing,” with workers in France taking an average of 28 vacation days a year. In the U.S., that number drops to 16. And nearly a quarter of workers took no vacation days at all in the past year.

The easy takeaway is that Americans need to get better at taking time off. But the more useful question for leaders is: have we built a culture where people actually feel able to use the time they’ve earned?

That’s where internal communications and HR strategy matter. Policies can say one thing while managers, workloads and unspoken norms say another. If companies want more rested, engaged employees, vacation cannot be treated like a personal act of courage. It has to be built into the rhythm, expectations and communication of the workplace.

Full read here at HR Dive.

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