A surprising number of American workers say they don't feel particularly comfortable taking Paid Time Off (PTO) even though they have lots of it earned.
Perhaps the biggest fear among is the looming possibility of layoffs in an economy as uncertain as today's.
Then add the pressure of feeling burnout even as some of those workers take on overtime and extra hours on the job and you have a recipe for burnout.
Of those who are reticent about taking time off, many worry that being out of the office a lot -- even if it's earned time off -- will come up as a negative on their performance reviews and in considerations for promotions.
But there's a huge problem with this, according to work expert Sherry Yellin, and that's the big tax on the human brain that occurs when it doesn't get sufficient rest.
"A brain that is always on never even gets the chance to exercise the skills of creativity, because the overworked brain can maintain executive function, but creativity slips away."
Employers should be helping such employees, Ms. Yellin says.
"They should be modeling what it looks like to have a healthy life."