Gender Differences in Taking Vacation Time

Abstract

This article contends that the use of vacation time reveals one's relative weighting of work and family obligations and examines gender differences in taking vacation time. Using data from the National Study of the ChangingWorkforce, this study finds that in the presence of familial and work-related controls, women are less likely than men to have unused vacation time. In gender-specific analyses, men's work schedules, supervisory duties, and concerns about job security significantly reduce the duration of their vacations. Even though familial factors have no impact on women's vacation use, women's concerns about the success of their family lives increase with the number of unused vacation days. These findings suggest the endurance of traditional expressions of work-family priorities. The research and policy implications of these findings are briefly discussed.