While nearly 1 in 4 workers say mental health days are the most effective tool for managing stress, 62% of U.S. employees report that they do not use all their vacation time. Typically, employees are leaving a third of it unused.
According to a Wondr Health survey of 2,000 workers nationwide, there is a growing issue of “time poverty” and a clear disconnect between what employees need and what workplace culture currently supports.
Many survey respondents reported that time off or mental health days (21.5%) are the most effective resource to reduce stress and anxiety. Not utilizing time off has a significant impact on employees—leading to increased stress, higher risk of depression and physical health issues, and decreased productivity.
“The most common reasons we see for people skipping PTO include things like internalized pressure, heavy workloads and organizational culture. Time poverty is a big driver of burnout and overall diminished health and life/work satisfaction,” Tim Church, MD, MPH, PHD, Chief Medical Officer, Wondr Health has told Digital Journal.
Church adds: “The findings show how important time off and flexibility are and signal that employers need to honestly evaluate how their current culture and policies may be impacting PTO hesitancy, burnout and subsequent impacts on health and wellness.”
Employees ranked flexible work hours and remote options as the second most important resource for stress management—underscoring the value of balance. Physical activity and emotional well-being resources also ranked high, suggesting a strong demand for holistic behavioural and lifestyle change support.
Most important mental health resources according to employees:
- Time off or mental health days – 21.5%
- Flexible work hours or remote work options – 15.4%
- Support for physical activity – 14.3%
- Emotional well-being content – 13.3%
- Live and on-demand mindfulness sessions – 9.8%
- Resources to improve sleep – 9.7%
- Access to health coaching – 7.3%
- A supportive manager – 6%
- An online support community – 2.5%
Church continues: “Even if your employees are utilizing their personal time off (PTO), they may not be able to fully unplug and get the most out of their vacation. Burnout is a complex issue that requires a multi-faceted approach to resolve. But what really drives long-term mental and physical health is always rooted in behaviour change.
“To be ahead of the curve, employers should focus on crafting a wellness strategy firmly rooted in behavioural science to truly help employees build the skills they need to reclaim their time and navigate stress to boost overall health and productivity.”
