American workplace pressures have produced ideal conditions for the rise of the work martyr. Work martyrs are too tied to their jobs to ever take a vacation day. As a result they’re taking less vacation. This is bad news for Virginia’s DMOs since destinations depend on people using their vacation days in their locality.
Work martyrs are over worked, stressed out and in desperate need of a vacation day. Work martyrs tend to only vacation once they have met their breaking point. However, taking a vacation day- even just one day- can help them be more productive and more creative.
They tend to be slightly more female, but are overwhelmingly Millennials. Even though Millennials are the newest generation to join the work force they are 4 times more likely to WANT to be seen as a work martyr. Probably to combat the long thought negative stereotype that Millennials are lazy and entitled.
The most under-vacationed group of people in America are in our nation’s capital just to the north of Virginia. Sixty- four percent of Washington D.C. residents leave vacation days on the table. The most vacation days left than any other city in the United States. Washington D.C. has far more government workers than average (40% to 13%). Government workers are more likely to leave vacation time unused. With 63 percent of government workers leaving time on the table, it is the second-worst industry at using time off, just after education (65%).
Young millennial work martyrs in D.C. area are a great target to take a day off in Virginia based on proximity, interests and demographics. It’s time to remind them it’s time to take a vacation day and Virginia is ready to make that day count.