Boomers enjoy vacation while Gen Z feels guilty about being away from work, survey finds

• A third of Gen Zers say they feel guilty while on vacation, LinkedIn survey finds.
• Gen Z feels more guilty than Millennials, Gen X, and boomers about not working on holidays.

While boomers are relaxing on the beach, Gen Z is apparently stress-reading work emails.

LinkedIn conducted a survey of 9,461 US professionals for its Workforce Confidence Index throughout June and July and found that 35% of Gen Z respondents felt guilty not working when on vacation, while just 22% of boomers said the same.

LinkedIn's George Anders said Gen Z's anxiety about taking off could be because they're still early in their career. For young professionals, "the credibility game is still in its earliest stages," Anders wrote. They could be trying to earn the trust and favor of managers by going the extra mile.

Millennials and Gen Xers didn't fall far behind Gen Z on the scale of guilt. About 30% and 32%, respectively, felt guilt about not working while on vacation, according to the survey.

The United States has a reputation for working year-round. Nearly half of Americans don't take all of their PTO days, the Pew Research Center found. And only about half of Gen Zers surveyed by LinkedIn said they had planned a vacation this year.

Luxury retail client advisor Razonie Napier told Insider that he struggles with turning off his work phone when he's on vacation. The 25-year-old said he often overthinks while he's away from work.

"In my industry, I do feel obligated to be available to my clients," Napier said. "They expect me to be there for them if they need an item, and I have to because it's my job."

He made it clear that he loves his job helping clients find the right style, and he doesn't mind answering their calls when he's not at work.