Americans are famously bad at taking time off from work, and are also generally known for having the fewest paid vacation days of most industrialized countries.
"Americans, unfortunately, take the gold medal for the least amount of (paid time off) used. While the average worker receives about 12 paid days off a year, more than half don’t use all of it, according to Expedia surveys," Melanie Fish, vice president of global public relations for Expedia Group, told USA TODAY in a statement. "My advice to Americans is simple: plan ahead. Don't hoard your PTO for one big trip. Instead, book a few three- to four-day escapes that align with school and office closures. Submit those PTO requests early in the year to secure the most in-demand dates and actually enjoy the time you’ve earned."
It takes a little strategizing, but you can stretch your days off into plenty of longer breaks if you game the calendar properly.
By pairing day off requests with existing federal holidays, you should be able to get some more substantial breaks, especially when those holidays butt up against a weekend.
Here are the federal holidays in 2026 and how you can extend them into longer work breaks.
