Gen Z feels guilty about taking vacations while boomers enjoy time off: Survey

Professionals in their twenties, who are just starting out may feel that even an extra week off the job could affect their careers. (Representational image: Unsplash)

Apart from financial constraints and pressure at work, a major reason why Gen Z finds it difficult to take vacations is because of guilt, a recent survey has found. Boomers, on the other hand, enjoy their time off guilt-free.

About 35 percent of Gen Z workers -- born in 1997 or later -- said they feel guilty not working when they are on vacation, as compared to the 29 percent US average across age ranges, according to LinkedIn’s latest Workforce Confidence Index, based on a survey of 9,461 US professionals. Meanwhile, only 22 percent of Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), reported any guilt while taking time off.

Elaborating on this, LinkedIn’s senior editor at large George Anders said that Gen Z’s vacation guilt could be because they’re still at the stage of their careers where they’re more concerned with impressing their boss, getting along with co-workers, or making sure they are getting quality work done.

“Gen Z is very conscientious,” Anders told CNBC Make It. They may have different habits, such as dress code preferences or desires of the location where they work, “but from what we’re seeing, Gen Z’s commitment to delivering good work is as intense as any other generation.”

Financial concerns could also be at play with 31 percent of Gen Z workers saying they will not take a vacation this year because of the current state of the economy.

George Reynolds, a 25-year-old digital marketing specialist who was a part of the survey said he probably won’t take any vacation until the Christmas holidays. He works for a Utah-based movie theater chain, and summer is by far his busiest time. “It’s harder to take time off now,” he said.

Finally, professionals in their twenties, who are just starting out may feel that even an extra week or two off the job could affect their careers. "For them, the credibility game is still in its earliest stages, especially if they’ve job-hopped a bit. As relatively new hires, it’s easy to stress about how to win their managers’ full confidence," Anders said.

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