Millions of Americans May Be Getting an Annual Leave Boost

A new effort to establish two weeks of paid annual leave a year for millions of American workers is being led by a group of Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives.

The move could grant retributed time off to nearly 27 million employees who currently don't have it.

The bill, dubbed the "Protected Time Off Act" or "PTO Act," should ensure that "all American workers can earn at least ten days of paid annual leave," said backer Rep. Seth Magaziner of Rhode Island.

"Americans who put in an honest day's work deserve to take time off, and I'm proud to introduce the PTO Act to make this a reality for all," Magaziner added in his statement. "This is a matter of fairness and respect in the workplace. No one works harder than American workers, and they have earned a break."

In a statement to Newsweek, Magaziner said: "I am proud to introduce this legislation with over 40 cosponsors and wide support from organizations including labor unions, civil rights groups, and organizations fighting for workplace and family issues. American workers are the most productive in the world and they deserve to be treated like it. I'm hopeful that my colleagues across the aisle will be able to see the benefits of this legislation for workers, business owners, and society as a whole."

The proposed legislation he put before Congress on Wednesday is co-sponsored by Reps. Nikki Budzinski of Illinois, Greg Casar and Jasmine Crockett of Texas. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont is introducing companion legislation in the Senate.

U.S. workers are not legally entitled to any paid holiday—something that's taken for granted in many countries across the West. In a damning 2019 report titled "No-Vacation Nation)," the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) wrote that the U.S. is the only country without a paid annual leave policy.

Across the European Union, workers are guaranteed at least 20 paid vacation days per work year. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization CEPR wrote that in 2019 one in four Americans had no paid vacation during the course of the work year.

Should it pass the House and the Senate, Magaziner's bill would ensure that employees who work full time can earn no less than two weeks of paid annual leave per year, which they will be able to use within a 12-month period at their own discretion.

This paid vacation time, which would amount to the worker's normal wage, will be guaranteed in addition to any paid sick leave or family and medical leave already guaranteed by law.

Employers would be forbidden from discriminating against employees exercising their right to take annual paid time off.

"It is time to end the international embarrassment of the United States being the only major country on Earth not to guarantee paid vacation days to workers," said Sanders. "In the richest country in the history of the world, workers should be treated with dignity and respect, and that includes having the basic right to a paid vacation."

Update 3/22/24, 4:45 p.m. ET: This article was updated with a statement from Seth Magaziner.