Americans Can't Stop Working. NewsWire

NewsWire: 10/1/22

• More Americans are taking vacations, but are still staying connected to work. Many are reluctant to unplug due to staff shortages and fear of layoffs. (The Wall Street Journal)
• NH: According to a recent survey by Allianz Partners USA, Americans are taking more vacations than ever. In spring 2021, 44% of US adults said they took at least a week-long vacation in the prior year. In 2022, that share rose +13 percentage points to 57%. That's the largest share recorded since the survey began in 2009. 

• But other surveys show Americans are increasingly working during their travels. A survey by Visier found that over 50% of workers admitted to working during their time off. Moreover, a Korn Ferry survey found that 60% of executives plan to check in with the office during vacation more than they did last year. 47% said they were reluctant to unplug due to staff shortages. And 15% said they were nervous about layoffs. 
• The rise of telecommuting has obviously contributed to employees working during their vacations. Remote work has blurred the lines between home and the office. And people now know they can contribute from a distance. 
• All told, this trend may have negative consequences for worker morale. A recent study found that working during off hours negatively affects an employee's “intrinsic motivation.” In other words, when they work during vacations--and possibly also during weekends--they never return to work refreshed. And that's the formula for burnout.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Poor Interns. Almost half of all US internships are unpaid. Clearly, this can be a barrier to youth from low-income families trying to pursue professional careers. But politicians and colleges are trying to move away from this system. In June, Biden announced that the White House would pay all its fall interns for the first time. Similarly, California is considering a $5M bill to fund 650 low-income youths that take unpaid work in state government. And in the private sector, Parker Dewey is partnering with colleges to offer "micro-internships." The company matches youths with paid short-term gig projects at local and online businesses. Of course, some youth have recently passed over internships to take advantage of the hot jobs market. (See "Teen Workers: Jobs Aplenty, But For How Long?")