Taking time off can often feel like a serious professional risk. Americans are really bad at taking vacation days. A poll by Reuters/Ipsos shows that only 57 percent of Americans take all of their allotted vacation time, which ranks the U.S. toward the bottom of the poll.
The study doesn't show how many vacation days people take, so it's possible people are taking most of what they get. But it's generally accepted that Americans, who receive around 14 days annually, leave three or four days on the table.
But the Blackberry, it SAVED us. It is the epitome of good and bad all wrapped into one. This lovely mobile device gives you the freedom to go wherever you want. Unfortunately, it has also given rise to the “tethered” vacation.
At least 50 percent of Americans have admitted to checking their e-mail during vacation days.
Are holidays any better? Do they give Americans the respite they need, or are they just a reminder of how overworked most Americans are?
A new survey from Xobni and Harris Interactive says 59% of employed American adults check their e-mail during holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Of that percentage, more than half (55%) check their work e-mails at least once a day, while about 28% check their e-mails multiple times throughout the day.
So do you ever actually get the break that you need? Is vacation aversion less about overwork than about self-delusion and narcissism?
How can Americans get their vacation back?