It’s become a trope in popular discussions about the modern world: people are overworked.
This bears out not just anecdotally but also in the maxims espoused by successful business figures. Take for instance the example of Alibaba founder Jack Ma, who recently praised the concept of the 12-hour work day in a blog post.
Moreover, the option to take paid time off (PTO) from work is unevenly distributed in the U.S. According to 2018 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, at least 70% of American private industry workers had access to paid holiday, vacation and sick leave time. But only 43% had access to paid personal leave, and only 15% had access to dedicated paid family leave.
