Why U.S. Vacation Policies Are So Much Worse Than Europe’s

The United States is the only advanced economy that doesn’t guarantee workers paid time off. And nearly half of those who are offered paid vacations don’t take the days, even though roughly 80% of U.S. workers receive some sort of paid time off. In France, in contrast, the cultural norm is to take off the entire month of August. But not taking vacation could be harmful to both workers’ health and the economy. Watch the video above to learn more about the vacation story of these two cultures. Chapters: 00:00 — Introduction 01:50 — European vacation 04:03 — U.S. vacation 06:12 — Vacation and the economy Produced and Edited by: Charlotte Morabito Animation: Christina Locopo Supervising Producer: Lindsey Jacobson Additional Footage: Getty Images, Fatima Cadet-Diaby