Giving Thanks—On the Job

The manager sits down for Thanksgiving, only to feel his phone vibrate in his pocket. It’s his boss, with unexpected news about the company. He doesn’t hesitate to pick up.  

To be sure, bosses interfering with days off has always been a problem, but the data suggests employees are grinning and bearing it today to an almost unprecedented degree. Indeed, nearly a quarter of employees have not taken any vacation time this year, according to one survey. And although the holiday season kicks off this week, most workers say they are unlikely to try to take time off during the end-of-year rush.

One huge factor, of course: the crushing job market. “People feel like all eyes are on them,” says Dennis Deans, global human resources business partner. “They’re trying to squeeze out every last drop of productivity.”  

In previous years, firms would respond simply by encouraging employees to use their PTO during the holiday season—the ol’ “use it or lose it” ploy—to prevent corporate burnout. But experts say that AI, tariffs, and other issues have put so much pressure on managers that they’re reluctant to tell people to take time off. In the survey, 43% of employees were afraid their workload is too heavy to justify time away, and 29% felt pressure to appear committed as a way to keep their job. “This year, the stress of telling someone to take vacation is too much,” says David Vied, global sector leader for medical devices and diagnostics at Korn Ferry.   

Leaders do remain concerned about overextending staffs. Some had hoped that AI could pick up at least some of the load workers are bearing, freeing them up to take family time. But studies show that while the technology has cut workloads by an average of about 7.5 hours weekly, two-thirds of employees are still reporting some form of workplace overwhelm. Not taking vacations is “a sign that managers should be looking out for burnout,” says Cheryl D’Cruz-Young, senior client partner in the Sustainability and Global Energy practices at Korn Ferry. Last year, almost half of employees did not use all of their allotted vacation days, according to a survey by Eagle Hill Consulting, and—as anyone who has managed strivers knows—successfully encouraging workers to take vacation time earlier in the year, when official holidays are few, is much easier. 

This year, Thanksgiving falls late, meaning that employees have two holiday weeks in less than a month. “Some people almost feel guilty,” says Deans. “They just took time off for Thanksgiving, and now they’re going to take more time?” He advises those unwilling to use their PTO to talk to their manager or HR and ask whether it can be rolled over to next year. 

As for managers, experts suggest they use their own PTO rather than verbally suggesting that employees do so. “The issue is often that managers themselves are not taking time off,” says Flo Falayi, senior client partner in the Leadership and Executive Development practice at Korn Ferry. 

Learn more about Korn Ferry’s Organization Strategy capabilities. 

Read more This Week in Leadership articles