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Subscribe to RSSA new study says American workers are refusing to take time off from work, citing stress and fears of being replaced. Workplace expert Nicole Williams explains the study's findings and how you can take a break from work without putting the brakes on your career.
In this tight economy, vacations are getting squeezed. Americans are using two fewer vacation days than last year, according to a new survey. On top of that, they have two fewer to use, 12 down from 14.
"Fear of being replaced" and "too much work" were two of the biggest reasons respondents cited in the survey.
The global online survey, "Vacation Deprivation," was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of travel site Expedia from September to October, 2012 . The site has commissioned the survey annually since 2000. The survey was conducted among 8,687 employed adults 16 and over worldwide. The North American sample size was 500. It's available to read here in full as a PDF.
Career expert and best-selling author Nicole Williams told Savannah Guthrie this morning on TODAY that with "high unemployment people are afraid of taking that time off."
Additionally, in America, there's a "sense of bravado around not taking vacation," said Williams. People brag about how long they've gone without vacation, taking pride in how much they've been able to punish themselves.
However, "vacation isn't a luxury," said Williams. Nor is it simply time you're "taking" from your employer. She said it allows you to "replenish, get more creative, and more able to produce." Sure you're out of pocket in the short-term, but in the long run it's better for your employer, and your career.
The key is to be smart about how you plan your vacation. Preparing the groundwork with your boss is integral.
Williams offered three big tips for making sure you're not a member of the "No Vacation Nation."
1. Scheduling is everything
Every industry has an off-season. Look at the calendar, mark up the best times for you and your employer, and go to your boss as early as possible so you both can plan for it.
2. Prepare to relax
Try to get as much up-front work done as possible to clear your workload, even if it means putting in some extra hours or weekends in advance. Delegate, delegate, delegate. Pick a "vacation buddy" who will be your designated "go to" for your boss, clients and colleagues in your absence.
3. Return with grace
When you get back, don't complain about your jet lag or brag about how awesome your trip was. "You really want to keep it under cover," said Williams, to avoid stoking jealousy or resentment.
"Be polite, in other words," said Guthrie.
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I don't have vacation time at my job. I don't even have sick time. If I take some days off, it's unpaid time off. I'm planning on taking three or four days next March to spend with my husband for our anniversary.
While we spend trillions providing aid economic and military to European countries, they enjoy 1 month of paid vacation where the cities are abandoned, for vacationers foreigners, weeks of 35 hours work and a much less stressful life. I lived in Peru also, for a few years an underdeveloped country, even so, they have 15 to 30 days of paid vacation apart from their pay, receive bonus at Christmas, equivalent to 2 weeks of work and by their celebration of independence 1 week. We call us a develop country.
When it comes to vacation and other paid time off, America sucks!
The ultra rich have taken over the government and the economy and they are squeezing the money and the life out of everyone else. The Dems do nothing to take back power for the people and the Repubs just want more money and power for the rich.
Try to organize to actiually change this and the police, FBI, CIA and private goons will infiltrate, discredit beat and arrest you.
US democracy is a joke.
for my 50k a year job I only get 4 week vacation 1 week sick time and if I do not use it I lose it. So I try to take all the time I can.
Yes it is great NOT working in one of those stupid union shops.
Are you serious, the Dems in washington ARE the super rich and they could give two shi#$ about you or anyone else. Welcome to your first dose of reality. If you look at their history over the past several years, they just want to take power from the people in their way (aka socialism)
Thank you Tracy, couldn't have said it better myself! These obots are following Mr. O's and cronies into the class warfare they started.
Both sides are screwing us and they have been for about 30 years. Unfortunately it will be the taxpayers like us that will pay the bill. Meanwhile we sit back and claim victory because Obama won and cheer on John Boehner when he thumbs his nose at Obama and the entire time we are cheering they're snickering and sticking it up our arse. democraps love their special interest groups and republicons love their corporations and the middle class taxpayer takes it on the chin no matter who is driving. And they all stand up and claim to be fighting for us.. lol
I am fortunate enough to work for a company that adapts to changes like this quickly. When I started, no rollover vacation time. They quietly implemented it two years ago (and gave me 8 hours that I didn't use back), then made an announcement that we could save up to 40 hours each year.
This year, 30 hours of rollover (so I used 22 less hours)... I gotta take a week off, whole week... when I know it will be dead around the office.
Tragic!!!
How many day got our employees in the Government. They have more vacation time with our taxes and Obama wants more of them.
Oskar, you are full of it, as trying to blame Obama for what the Public Sector may have and wanting to give them more is pure FAUX News Bullpucky.
When I talk to my Public Sector friends, they are hurting more than most and losing more and more, because Obama and most states have been cutting federal jobs. All because the Corporate buddies of the GOP have decided they need more money and the Unions are to blame. Golden parachutes for leading a company into lose 5 billion dollars??? Yeah, that's rich.
policy change here this year based on length of service can build to 264 hous before I lose so I take one day a pay period just to relax I can not have over the 264 so just keep it close so I have time to get away when I need it
Yep! That's what life is all about....just work, work, work....that's what I'll be missing most when I'm on my deathbed.
Most of us know that our work will be waiting and piling up for us when we get back. Companies are staffed too thin for effective vacation coverage. when you do take time off, you are expected to check your e-mails daily and respond. Our acountabilities do not end because we are not there.
Rick,
Agreed, how many people do you see with their smart phone and laptop on them on vacation. Too damn many. The one point this article failed miserably on is facts however.
For starters, they said people feel that way, just because people feel that way doesn't make it true that their employer is going to dump them for using vacation time. A whopping 500 Americans surveyed - woohoo - that is a ridiculously small percent. piss poor survey
But many employers use and encourage that fear. I work for one of them.
Hmm.. we have 2 fewer days allowed AND we are using 2 fewer day for vacation. I'm SURE thoe two factoids are unrelated.
What does Occam's Razor suggest? People are taking less because they cannot take it.
The drum beats on while most of us march merrily off to serfdom. Work harder for less and less to show for it, 40th place in the world by most measures and fully half of our people just bothered to go out and vote for an unabashed job slasher and tax avoider.
I thought OBLAMER like to pay taxes, my bad.
Fail troll attempt, keep at it - I'm sure mommy is proud of you.
You will have the Teabaggers and Right Wingers all over you now.
There are a lot of them looking for work, last month didn't turn out so good for them. Still would be nice if they had some real substance, and didn't phone it in - a nice debate does break out on here once in a while.
I will be hard pressed to fit in vacation days into my schedule. But it is either use them or lose them. I hate losing them but I don't see a way to catch up on work to take days off.
Then you have a crappy job, work for a crappy company, which pays you crappy wages, and you're trying to come off like a martyr. Puhleeze!
lol, he's probably the owner. I have worked for the same company for 21 years. The rich owner (an evil millionaire) takes the least amount of vacation of anyone there.
and get this...... He's also a republican... and a christian... That SOB has the balls to call people in his office and and remind them how much vacation time they have left and encourages them to schedule it with HR as soon as possible.
He's making millions and all the SOB gives us is a great job, great healthcare, vacations, bonuses, retirement plan (even though I hear they invest in wall street of all places) summer picnics, christmas parties.... Sounds like you poor liberals need to go to work for a republican. Those democraps are screwing you guys over hard and fast....
Working in non-profit, we take a beating in salaries, but we do have a nice allotment of vacation/sick/personal time...I've been there 15 yrs and i get 5 weeks (4 weeks vacation and everyone gets one week personal which basically can be used just like vacation), I take a 2 week vacation every Dec, and i never have a problem taking the time off...We also get 12 sick days a year, and if you don't use sick time, it keeps accuring and doesn't expire...We have some employees who could get paid for well over a year if they got very sick as they have so much time built up...Also, we can use our leave time in increments, so if you want to take 3 hrs sick in the afternoon for a doctor appt, etc, you can take time that way...
That's still 5 weeks less than Europeans get. Don't you feel blessed after 15 years of servitude? ^^
maybe you should head on over to the UK jack... I hear theyre hiring....
obama's family is taking more vacations and spending as much tax payer's money as they can till it runs out.
do you have anything intelligent to say?
As compared to Bush, who spent 8 months a year off in Texas with his cronies, Obama is working like common Americans. Shut up about work ethics, GOP troll!
Sorry to burst your bubble but bush did NOT use vacation time like OBLAMER has, OBLAMER is so worthless he has NO clue on how to get this economy back to work. Had Mitt over for lunch to pick his brain, Bet he gave him some good ideas, but OBLAMER will still go the other way as he thinks he knows best.
Do some research on the vacation time for all presidents you will see what group used the most. Hell just check for the chritsmas vacations, that will make it quicker.
By the way Jack where in the hell did you come up with the work ethic @!$%# anyway. I do NOT see it anywhere in his post. Liberal TROLL
mark -
do you have anything intelligent to say other than attacking anybody who does not agree with your opinion of Obama that he can walk on water?
Tammy-311614
Mark probably gets frustrated with the lies, innuendo's and falsifications that these right wingers keep persisting with, facts are completely irrelavent to them. Must admit I have almost given up posting, the lights are on but no one's in.
And the USA does not protect Europe or give it money, The UK did not pay the War Loan off till the mid ninties.
tammy, I was happy that the right drew Obama towards the middle, and really pi$$ed that they refused to do the same. their clear goal was to "make Obama fail at all costs"
but geno taglio's comment was inane and stupid, how much was spent on Bush's endless vacations to his ranch in Texas (security for a president isn't cheap), how about Clinton, Reagan, Bush Sr. etc.?
If I can work from home, a president sure can too. Bush can probably get more work done from home like I am able to do.
last time I checked, Bush wasn't President.
I can't remember the last time I worked for a place that gave paid vacation leave or paid sick leave. I haven't been on vacation in over 8 years.
that is how life should be according to the GOP. the wealthy get richer while the rest suffer.
vacations, insurance, etc. are nothing but expenses that prevent the CEOs and wall street from making even more money off of your work.
You probably work for a demoRAT. they refuse to give anything of there away.
The company I work for is run by a republican. I get paid sick time, paid vacation and if I want more time off they will let me take it off but I have to do it without pay. I say 4 weeks vacation and 1 week sick/personel time is good for me.
Is this one of your vacation day's then, or are you still writing your fairy stories.
Vacation is for people who can afford it. Most take time off, but go nowhere...
This is the new norm that slightly half of you voted for. More work for less money or go on welfare. And forget about taking any vacations anymore...
proof of a criminal government as the Employers of this America take less Vacations and the Employee called Obama and others Take 16 vacations every 2 years costing the company 2 million a day. Even our employees family take 1 million a day vacations to Hawaii 8 times a year, 2 weeks at a time, you do the math.
So why is the American Employer allowing the workers to exploit the owners of this America. Plus they have failed again in performing any good thing. Any other work place would of fired the whole lot of them long ago and made sure they didn't get Unemployment, yet these thefts and liars in this company will walk away millionaires-trillionaire and leave our company 20-30 trillion in debt. What is wrong here blinded and idiot selfish Americans. Your company has been taken over by Illegals. We have been pushed out by the labor force for sure..
How about those Bush Holidays, when he was away from the White House for months, playing on his tractor....I suppose the 2 million a day was worth it for the Republican President, while not ok for the Democrat who actually works tirelessly on our nation's needs, mister troll! What a bubble brain!
apparently, chuck doesn't have anything intelligent to say either.
Apparently you Liberal TROLLS do NOT understand it COST MUCH more to go to Hawaii than it does to go to Texas from Washington DC. so when it cost us 150K per day for bush to be in Texas and 2 million a day for OBLAMER to be in Hawaii there is a BIG difference. I bet you can figure it out if you know any 10 year olds that can help run the calulator.
Jack you don't know @!$%#. Working tirelessly non American president working hard to turn us into a socialist goverment and trying to change our way of life all he is doing is trying to break the rich and next will be middle class until he has dictatorship over this country. Just wait until he appoints all his muslim brothers to cabinet positions and we will be an ISLAMIC socialist goverment just like Egypt which he supports.
You are so correct Steve. He reminds me of the dork in N. Korea and all the African countries run by a black leader.
If I did not have to pay for all the vacations and golf Obama takes I might be able to afford one.
lasertroll, apparently you are utterly incapable of even the simplest math or logic
Mark I say the 6K I pay in each year is more than enough to take a GOOD Vacation ON
Mark as for Math problems I will NEVER need help in that subject. I was the one that was doing 12 grade math in 4th grade.
steve, then maybe you should calculate how much that "vacation" is actually costing you from your taxes.
(pennies)
We are the only developed country besides Japan which doesn't have decent legal rights for workers. So many people in the US don't even have paid vacations at all. Nearly all workers in Europe get at least four weeks' paid vacation per year. It is appalling how badly most American employers treat their workers.
Sounds like a great time for you to load up and move to Europe and get all of those rights and vacations. A small note though, don't hang around too long at the threshold on your way out or the millions yearning to move to the US will trample you.
And what's even funnier is that Americans or anyone who transfer from Europe to here gets to keep those vacation day's. But when you have Math Genius's like Steve - 1962, extolling us with his words of wisdom - I see no future for the US worker. Let's get all those Right to Work bills passed. I'm sure that will be sooooooo beneficial.
wouldn't it be great if we ALL could afford to take vacations? wouldn't it be great if EVERYBODY would pull their own weight? When you have one guy pulling the wagon and 3 deadbeats riding and demanding that the puller pull harder, show me the "fair share" that our leader is bragging about. Show me the wisdom of spending $4M on a Hawaii vacation for our "leader" when we are about to go postal with our economy. Can't you guys see what's happening?
Well I can tell you it is great amused. Me and Obo will both be on the beach for christmas. Although I wont be staying for 3 weeks like he is I am sure we will both enjoy the view.... To hell with the fiscal cliff... We're goin to Hawaii for Christmas!!!!! Thanks for the vote !!!!!
Now that he doesn't have to worry about campaigning, President Barack Obama is reportedly getting ready for a long Hawaiian vacation with his family over the holiday season. According to estimates, the trip will cost at least $4 million on the tax payers dime.
According to the Hawaii Reporter, President Obama is getting ready to take his annual holiday trip to Hawaii. The President, along with Michelle, his two daughters, Sasha and Malia, and even their dog Bo will be going on the trip in addition to a large security team. The trip will last 20 days from December 17 through January 6.
With half of the country on permanent government vacation those of us who work can't afford to take time off.
LOL! Too funny! Guess I better get back to work! Thanks for the good laugh!
You're not one of those Appraisers who 'work on the cheap' for an AMC are you??? If you are, shame on you!!
More and more people are no longer getting vacation pay. More companies are going to part time workers to help balance the bottom line, all of the back of their workers. Benefits are becoming a thing of the past for the workers.
Where I work we "accumulate" sick pay over the course of a year, even the part time workers do. However, even though you earned the sick pay it all disappears on December 31st and there is no monetary offset and that is the only benefit offered for the part time workers which make up 2/3s of the staff.
What the heck is a vacation?
People have been forced to take on the tasks and sometimes entire jobs of those laid off so they can't use all the time coming to them. They also have to try and fit in some days off here & there so as to not lose- the rest carries over into the next year and the cycle begins again. Bend over & take it!
And if the companies did NOT have to pay such HIGH taxes they could HIRE a couple more people to ease the burden and give everyone some time to enjoy with there families.
Steve-1962 - Ok you got me, name one of those companies paying those high taxes.
Why do I bite, Steve-1962 is a paid blogger, nobody can be that dumb in real life.
Just wait till Obamacare kicks in and the average work week drops to 29 hours so they don't have to pay benefits. Everybody will be gettin and extra 11 hours or so of vacation time every week.
WE WON!!! WE WON !!!!
It's the land of the "FREE' people, at least USE your few little weeks of vacation.
Who are these 38% of people who have jobs, but don't want vacation? I can't think of anyone that doesn't use all of theirs. Usually the people with kids use it up taking them to the dr., or whatever else.
Take YOUR vacation people! Life is too short. Go somewhere outside of your zip code, eat somewhere besides applebees. Get off the slave ship for a few minutes, enjoy your spouse, your kids, SOMETHING. SAD, just sad.
Well, I'm losing a week of vacation time that I can't take before the end of the year. Why? Because there are only so many people who can do the job that I do, and I'm lowest on the totem pole.
I was told, though, that I can use my remaining vacation time in 3 or 4 hour blocks. Jst not one or more days at a time.
Quit working for such a cheap company. Any company that told me I had to give up a weeks vacation would quickly find that I will take it anyway, as the week after I leave the morons to work for a company with some intelligence.
Obama is taking more vacation. Guess he's not busy on this ride.
He is a lame duck president now.
Obama is waiting patiently for a 'reasonable' Gop proposal to the 'fiscal cliff' that the Gops created with the Bush era tax cuts 12 years ago 'signed into law' to expire by the Gops decree 12/31/2012.
Lots of time for a 'tee-off' while the Gops are 'ticked-off'.
@DKL-3485121, I thought Obama promised to fix what ails us, no new taxes etc. his first time around? He has inherited his own mess now. I do agree though, it's not just the Dems mess, it's both sides of the isles mess. We need more central minded who are able to work together and fewer far right/far left in Politics who are not.
Then maybe more employers would get back to offering full time work WITH benefits and more of the working class CAN take vacation.
DKL you really need to do some research. the year the tax cuts went into effect the REVENUES went UP. so how did that reduce the revenue, I remember we have LESS people working today than we had when Bush was president.
Ge the rest of Americans back to work and we will have more revenue coming in.
Then we still need to get the GOVERNMENT to quit spending MORE than they take in. We need to get this government to quit wasting tax payer money.
All government officials shoulld take a cut in pay as most of the rest of us had to. You can NOT count UNION employees in that because they feel they deserve a raise each and every year no matter who gets hurt by it. So a few companies close up we do NOT care we still want our raise. BAD UNION.
You left out the part where Bush also increased government spending (like all presidents have) and started 2 wars. Of course it didn't happen right away. Just like this whole economic night mare didn't start the day Obama too the oath!
Yeah, we really need to immediately eliminate Social Security and Medicare. The quicker those useless, non-productive old people die the better for everyone else.