Most countries around the world offer workers some form of paid time off (PTO). So, how did the U.S. become one of the few outliers that has no federally guaranteed paid vacation, maternity, family, or bereavement leave—let alone sick time? 

The factors are many, ranging from cultural expectations to legal ones. In America, PTO is up to the employer or local officials, rather than treated as something every working person deserves.

“I think that has shaped how we view time off,” says Cory McCruden, CEO of Best Upon Request, a concierge service focused on employee well-being. “It can feel like a benefit your employer gives you rather than a normal part of working and living.”

PTO is certainly a privilege for workers in the U.S. That reality makes life harder for everyone, from the parent who needs to leave work early to pick up a child to the individual who woke up with the flu. Thanksgiving’s just around the corner, and while it’s a federal holiday, many workers may feel anxious about asking for extra time off. A single day is hardly generous, especially when traveling to see family can be so time-consuming.

The current situation comes in spite of the fact that taking PTO has been proven to improve employee retention—increasing with the number of days off—and offer psychological benefits to the individual. 

So, why is the state of PTO in America so bad? Things have gone wrong to get to this point, but there could be ways to turn it around.

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