Survey: Millennials Feel Guiltier About Taking Vacation; More Likely To Check In Outside Of Work Than Older Generations
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Millennials are often seen as lazy, immature and unmotivated, but a new survey on work habits might change those perceptions.
According to staffing company Randstad US's Employee Engagement Study, generation Y (or Millennials) is actually the most likely to remain "on" after work hours, with more than 52% feeling obligated to respond to emails outside of work.
Furthermore, Millennials also feel guiltier than older workers about using their hard-earned vacation days. More than 40% admitted to feeling guilty about using all of their time, which is more than double the 18% of baby boomers who claimed to feel the same.
Overall, 42% of employees said they feel obligated to check in with work while they're vacationing, and more than one-fourth feel guilty for using all their vacation time.
"Gen Y was born into the era of technology and as a group is more comfortable than baby boomers or Gen X with being constantly connected in both their work and personal lives," says Jim Link, Randstad North America's Chief HR officer. "As Gen Y and incoming Gen Z employees populate the workforce, companies will need to create protocols that thoughtfully address work/life boundaries to meet both organizational goals and employee needs and tendencies."
If you're feeling anxious about that upcoming trip, consider this: 67% of employees also reported feeling more productive after returning to work following a vacation.
Randstad says its study is the ninth annual and was conducted online in April 2014 from a national sample of 2,257 employed adults 18 and over.
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