I was recently reminded that I have not been taking my paid holiday time, and they were right.

You may ask: Why wouldn’t you take the time you are given? How could someone forget to take the time they’ve earned?

I blame it on my status as a millennial. I was born in 1991, which puts me within the 1981-1996 age range of the millennial generation.

This is the first time in the 16 years I have been a wage earner that I qualify for holiday or vacation time. The concept of getting paid for days that I don’t work still boggles my mind a bit.

Most of my working years have been spent as a server or bartender in the restaurant industry. The majority of these jobs do not offer any benefits such as paid time off or health care.

Even when I tried to use my college degree to expand beyond the restaurant industry, a world of part-time jobs was waiting. Generally, part-time work also does not offer benefits.

I’m sure many of you have noticed that existing in today’s world is expensive. Between the basics of paying for rent, utilities, my car, student loans, health care and groceries, a part-time job simply does not cut it.

So, I started juggling a number of part-time jobs just to make ends meet. This means working holidays and taking small two- or three-day “vacations” when I’ve saved enough to get away with taking time off work. Those little breaks also needed to be taken during the week because I couldn’t afford to take a weekend off from whatever restaurant I was working at the time.

This is a common occurrence in the world of millennials. We were thrown into lower-level positions in a world that emphasized overworking and being overly productive.

In 2017, Forbes reported 25% of millennials were nervous when requesting time off and as much as 48% didn’t use the entirety of their allotted time off.

“The biggest factor appears to be the shame of requesting time off, which is directly intertwined with the culture of overwork that has developed in this country over the past seven years,” the Forbes article “Why Millennials Are Taking Fewer Vacations” by Larry Alton noted.

The Atlantic reported millennials “are the most likely generation to forfeit time off, even though they receive the least amount of vacation days.” This is linked to wanting to prove themselves worthy of advancement, demonstrate dedication and show their bosses they are not replaceable.

The Atlantic also noted millennials entered the workforce in a time of “vacation decline.” The average vacation usage rate started dropping in 2000.

On the brighter side, research has shown millennial outlook on their vacation time has shifted. Nerd Wallet reported millennials took more of their holiday and vacation in 2020.

Some people attributed it to the stressful year 2020 turned out to be with the COVID-19 pandemic, economic and political shifts and more. We all remember how fun 2020 was, right?

The ups and downs of the year led to increased anxiety and burnout, which helped the millennials decide enough is enough - they are taking their time.

I also believe a reason for the shift is that as time goes by, more and more millennials move up their corporate ladders or finally put in enough years to qualify for that time.

The Atlantic reported millennial managers, which is a growing subset, are more likely to approve time off for their employees, believing time away can relieve stress and burnout and allow employees to return recharged and more productive.

According to the National Library of Medicine, there have been a number of scientific studies to corroborate this mindset.

Luckily, after a certain number of years with The Press, part-time workers qualify for paid holiday and vacation time. I am blessed to be able to fight the burnout and actually take a break without worrying about being able to pay my bills.

Now, I just need to remember to take it.

Samantha Anderson

editorial assistant

Whitehall-Coplay Press

Northampton Press

Catasauqua Press