More than last year expect to work while on vacation
With summer approaching, demanding work schedules have some workers in the United States foregoing vacation plans this year.
Twenty-four per cent of full-time workers said they can't afford to take a vacation in 2011, up from 21 per cent last year, according to a survey by CareerBuilder. Another 12 per cent of the 5,600 American workers surveyed said they can afford a vacation but don't have plans to take one this year. While the majority of workers are planning some time away from work, some plan to take the office with them on vacation. Thirty per cent of survey respondents said they will contact work while on vacation, up from 25 per cent last year. "Taking advantage of vacation or paid-time-off benefits is critical not only to your well-being, but to your overall job performance," said Rosemary Haefner, vice-president of human resources at CareerBuilder. "Workers who set aside time for R and R tend to have less burnout, more creative energy and higher quality output. While financial challenges and heavy workloads may make vacation planning difficult, it's important to find time to recharge away or at home." As the economy recovers, more than one-third (36 per cent) of respondents said they feel more comfortable taking a vacation than they did in 2010. Twenty-six per cent are planning a vacation of seven to 10 days while 11 per cent expect to be gone two weeks or longer. Twenty-four per cent are planning for three to five days or a weekend getaway.
