7 tips to get you the vacation time you deserve

Asking for time off at work can be an intimidating task. Joseph Grenny, co-founder of VitalSmarts and co-author of “Crucial Conversations,” has seven tips to help you get the vacation days you deserve.The key is to have explicit conversations with your boss so you know what's expected of you, both in how much time you can take off, and your role at work during your time off.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.Vacation days are essential for employees who need a break from their daily grind. Time off relaxes and replenishes workers, and improves productivity when they return to the job. According to US Travel, average vacation days in America began to decline in 1993, from around 20 days used per year, to an all-time low in 2014 of 16.2 days used per year. Since then, however, Americans have taken more paid time off, bringing the average up to 16.8 days used per year.Some people dread asking for time off, and assume taking less time off is expected of them, according to Joseph Grenny, co-founder of VitalSmarts and co-author of The New York Times best-seller, “Crucial Conversations.” Grenny spoke to Business Insider about the best ways to ask for PTO, and how to get it.