Americans face ‘time poverty’ epidemic

A growing number of Americans are struggling with what experts call “time poverty,” a condition marked by a chronic imbalance between the hours people need for personal well-being and the demands of their work lives. A new survey by wellness firm Wondr Health highlights the scope of the problem, finding that 62 percent of U.S. employees do not use their full allotment of paid time off.

Time poverty

On average, workers let about one-third of their annual vacation days expire unused, a sign of deep-rooted workplace pressures and internalized guilt about taking time off. “No one is harder on most of us than ourselves, and it leads to time poverty, a condition where we simply do not have enough time for a meaningful work-life balance,” said Dr. Tim Church, chief medical officer at Wondr Health. “This is a wakeup call for employees and their employers. It’s time to rethink workplace culture.”

Work environments

David Ballard, vice president of One Mind at Work, said that many companies foster environments where stress and nonstop availability are worn like “a badge of honor.” He explained, “Some work cultures actually discourage taking time off, reward overworking, and position stress and being on 24/7 as a badge of honor. In this type of environment, employees may avoid taking time off because they would feel guilty or worry they would be seen unfavorably or be penalized if they did.” Ron Goetzel, senior scientist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, claimed the effects ripple outward: “Although all of us are given 24 hours in a day, people feel they need to cram in as much activity into that time as possible — without sitting back and asking whether the activity enhances their quality of life, happiness and a sense of accomplishment, or not,” he said.

‘Time poverty’ and mental health

Research has shown that time poverty contributes to declines in mental health, productivity and even physical well-being. A 2020 study found that “subjective feelings of time poverty had a stronger negative effect on well-being than being unemployed,” though policymakers and employers have long under-appreciated the issue. The costs for businesses are significant as well. Burnout fuels absenteeism, presenteeism — when employees show up but are unable to perform effectively — and high turnover rates. “Employees that don’t take time off are at risk for burnout, which is detrimental to both the employee and the business,” said Dr. Chloe Carmichael, a clinical psychologist who specializes in anxiety and stress management. “The employees can also become resentful of the employer and less productive.” Added Church, “It’s costly, plain and simple. When employees are burnt out or stressed, productivity and creativity drop. That’s lost potential right there.”

Work-related stress

Wellness expert Dr. Susan Biali Haas described burnout as “a complex, multi-factorial problem, but we know for sure that chronic exposure to work-related stress, without the ability to recover, leads inevitably to mental and emotional exhaustion, detachment and decreased productivity and effectiveness.” Sociologist Yasemin Besen-Cassino of Montclair State University noted the broader economic anxiety and technological changes that keep employees tied to their jobs. She noted that many use vacation days for childcare rather than rest. “Therefore, many workers are not recharging these days, but rather performing caregiving,” she said. Experts agree that businesses have much to lose if they fail to act. As Church concluded, “Maybe most importantly, businesses risk losing their best people. If the culture doesn’t support rest and wellness, employees look for other places where their well-being is valued. Addressing burnout and time poverty isn’t just about being better employers, it’s smart business.”

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