We often talk about burnout, work-life balance, and self-care in broad, feel-good terms, but these conversations rarely reflect the reality of lower-income workers. Imagine this: a high-earning professional books a weekend retreat to recharge. Meanwhile, a low-wage caregiver doesn’t take a needed sick day because missing even one day’s pay could mean not making rent. Both need rest, but only one has the safety net to take it.
Are You Wealthy Enough To Rest?
Structural inequalities, like class, race, gender, and employment benefits, shape who gets to rest and who doesn’t. Just 6% of workers in the lowest 10% wage bracket have access to paid family leave, compared to 43% in the top 10%. Only 52% of low-wage workers reported having access to paid sick leave, while higher-paid employees are far more likely to have comprehensive leave policies.
In the US, workers are only guaranteed unpaid leave by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), meaning that lower-income workers often have no choice but to “power through” even when sick or mentally exhausted. For those living paycheck to paycheck, even a single unpaid day can be a financial blow. 37% of U.S. adults can’t even cover an unexpected $400 expense, so without wage replacement, many genuinely can’t afford to take their available leave. These disparities are even sharper for low-income women and women of color, who are more likely to be frontline workers with limited leave and less flexible schedules.
Percent of private industry workers with access to family leave benefits by wage category, March 2021
Credit: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via The Economics Daily
Taking A Day Off To Make Time For More Work
Yet, even when time off is technically available, many workers don’t or can’t use it for actual rest. Responsibilities like caring for a sick child, managing a second job, or dealing with other family matters can feel like a punishment to many caregivers by forcing them to choose between their income, their family’s wellbeing, and their own health. The majority (59%) of these unpaid caregivers are women. This leads to an estimated 15% reduction in maternal lifetime earnings, or nearly $295,000.
Access To Paid Leave Isn’t Enough In A Toxic Work Culture
Workplace culture only adds to the problem. The “hustle” mindset, where productivity is glorified and burnout is worn like a badge of honor, rewards constant output and penalizes downtime.
Even among those with paid time off, company culture can make it hard to actually use it. In environments where overwork is normalized, employees may feel guilty, judged, or worried about job security if they take time to rest. There’s a false narrative that paid leave is a “perk” or a handout. In reality, it’s a proven strategy for retaining employees, improving health outcomes, and narrowing gender and racial gaps. Yet only 27% of private-sector workers have access to paid family leave, and low-wage workers are consistently the last to benefit.
If rest is essential for wellbeing—and it is—then equitable access to rest must be part of our DEI conversation.
Credit: More than 4 in 10 U.S. workers don’t take all their paid time off, Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C. (August 10, 2023)
Employers should audit who gets access to leave, how time off is used, and whether rest is encouraged or quietly punished within their organization. Everyone deserves the time and space to recover, reflect, and recharge. Rest isn’t an indulgence. It should be available to everyone, not just those who can afford it.
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