Being a Work Martyr Doesn't Help You Advance Your Career, Study Finds This is why you should be taking advantage of your paid time off.

By Rose Leadem

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

Do you consider yourself a work martyr and feel no one else can do your job? Do you sacrifice your paid time off in a pursuit to further your career? That approach isn't helping you, according to a new study.

While 38 percent of employees say they want their boss to consider them a work martyr, only 79 percent of these self-proclaimed work martyrs actually got a raise, compared to 84 percent of people who did not use this label, according to Project: Time Off's The State of American Vacation 2017.

Related: Why 'Vacation-Shaming' Hurts You More Than Your Employees

"We need to put to rest the fallacy that 'work ethic' is equivalent to work martyrdom," Project: Time Off Director of Communications Cait DeBaun said in a press release. "Not only are employees not getting ahead by sacrificing time off, these habits may also be harming their careers."

Project: Time Off surveyed 7,331 U.S. employees who work more than 35 hours a week and found an increase in the amount of paid time off. In 2016, the average surveyed worker used an average of 16.8 days off -- this number was 16.2 in 2015. However, they're still not taking full advantage of their vacation days. On average, employees received 22.6 vacation days in 2016 -- and 54 percent of workers say they left days unused.

However, these people might want to start planning some vacations. In fact, a few days off could benefit your career. The study found that employees who forfeit vacation days do not perform as well as those who take advantage of them. Twenty-seven percent of employees who used their vacation days said they were promoted, compared to only 23 percent of those who forfeited these days. That's because planning for and taking time off is beneficial to well-being, ultimately resulting in boosted morale, performance and professional success.

Related: How to Vacation Like a Boss

The survey also concluded that women are less likely to use all of their vacation days compared to men. In 2016, 44 percent of women used all of their days, compared to 48 percent of men. Those who didn't take advantage of some time outside the office admitted it was because of "guilt, fear and work martyr habits."

Rose Leadem is a freelance writer for Entrepreneur.com. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

'Unprecedented in Our 53-Year History': Southwest Airlines Announces Its First Mass Layoffs Ever

The airline is eliminating 15% of its corporate workforce, including many in senior leadership positions.

Side Hustle

This 30-Year-Old's $6,000-a-Month Side Hustle Started Making Money 'Immediately' — But He's Not Quitting His Day Job

Derrick Mathy works in orthopedic surgical device sales and is on a mission to bring people together in real life.

Franchise

Sam The Concrete Man is North America's #1 Residential Concrete Franchise

Sam The Concrete Man franchisees have the flexibility of working from home in the high demand residential concrete industry.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business Models

How This Luxury Retail Store Builds 100-Year-Relationships with Its Customers

Brent Polacheck, owner of Polacheck's Jewelers, is proving that in an era of instant gratification, the art of generational relationship-building still drives retail success.

Business News

How 'Girls Trip' Producer Will Packer Went From Delivering Newspapers to Producing Billions at the Box Office: 'Everything Is Sales'

In a new interview with Entrepreneur, Packer discusses his book, "Who Better Than You?," which was released on Tuesday.