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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More than half of those surveyed said they will be working while on vacation.

A growing number of employers are giving workers paid vacation time these days. The only thing is, many of you don’t understand what vacation is all about.

Vacation means taking time away from work, relaxing and recharging. That means, not working.

Unfortunately, more than half of U.S. workers plan on working during their vacations this year including everything from checking emails to doing actual work tasks.

A poll released this week by software company TeamViewer and conducted by Harris Interactive in May, found that 52 percent of those surveyed will be working while on vacation, up from 46 percent the previous year.

Here’s how the workaholic’s vacation/work schedule breaks down, according to the survey:

• Reading work-related emails – 30 percent
• Receiving work-related phone calls – 23 percent
• Wanting access to a document on my home computer – 19 percent
• Receive work-related text messages – 18 percent
• Wanting access to a document on my work computer – 13 percent
• Being asked to do work by a boss, client or colleague – 13 percent.

The worst gender for this vacation offense are men with 56 percent saying they were more likely to work, compared to 47 percent among women.

And the one group that can’t seem to get a break is single working Americans, who expect to be asked to do work by the boss more often than their married counterparts, 15 percent versus 6 percent.  

For many workers, the decision to keep working through R&R times, is about making sure jobs are secure and going above what’s expected in order to impress employers.

But that can be a recipe for disaster and may ultimately hurt your job performance.

"Rest and renewal ultimately increase our ability to be productive, it is essential to completely unplug when on vacation," said Susan Steinbrecher, a business consultant and author of "KENSHO: A Modern Awakening, Instigating Change in an Era of Global Renewal."

"Most people don’t take renewal seriously," she continued. "I believe our connected, always on, 24/7 society has lost the ability to recharge and renew without distractions. The minute you check an email or voice message while on holiday, you’re likely to get sucked right back in."

Some employers seem to realize the importance of vacation for their workers. The number of employers offering vacation benefits is actually on the rise.

Today, about 94 percent of employers offer paid vacation days to workers. And now, more than half of organizations provide paid time off as part of all-encompassing packages of days off, including vacation days, sick days, etc., compared to 42 percent in 2009, according to a report released in June by the Society for Human Resource Management.

And some firms are actually trying out unlimited vacation policies.

Alas, many workers still aren’t taking their vacation days seriously, or should I say, un-seriously.

"Today’s work environment of intense time pressures and limited resources means we are all required to put in extra effort, energy and time – which can create a lot of stress," Steinbrecher maintained. "This 'do more with less' work ethic means that if we don’t completely disengage when on vacation, we’re not fully recharging or refueling."

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More companies are experimenting with unlimited vacation policies. But is it really all a day at the beach?

Sanket Naik took a six-week trip last year to Thailand and India to see his family, but he didn’t worry about using up all his alloted vacation time.

Naik, senior director of cloud operations at Coupa, a tech startup, doesn’t have to accrue days off, and he didn’t negotiate a plum deal with his employer. The company just gives him and its staff of 100 all the vacation days they want.

“There’s the flexibility to travel or fulfill personal commitments without violating HR policies. We don’t have to count anymore,” he said about Coupa’s vacation policy, which was implemented in January.

Welcome to the world of unlimited vacation days. Coupa is one of a handful of companies, including TheLadders and Netflix, that have decided to offer the perk to employees. 

“This is an unusual benefit and not in the mainstream yet, but more companies seem to be looking at this as an option,” said Steven Miranda, managing director for the Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies at Cornell University ILR School.

"It's not a gimmick," said workplace change management consultant Matthew Stegmeier.

“Organizations that have had success with unlimited vacation, such as Netflix and Red Frog Events, rely strongly on accountability,” he said. “Employees must make sure all their responsibilities are covered prior to leaving, which often means counting on a colleague to pick up the slack. As such, excessive vacation usage will be frowned upon as it grates on colleagues.”

Indeed, unlimited vacation doesn’t mean you can spend your life at the beach. Most employers who offer the option still require workers to get permission for the time off from their managers. And many workers who are offered the benefit end up working during those so-called vacation stints.

During his long vacation in Asia, Naik estimates he worked remotely for Coupa for about two to three weeks, using online tools such as Skype and mobile broadband to get his work done.

When asked whether the mixing of work and leisure time takes away from the goal of a vacation, which is to recharge, Naik said, “That’s the reality. Even if you did not have unlimited vacation, you still have to deal with managing your personal time with work time -- a challenge anyone that works in a modern work environment  needs to deal with.”

For Mark Verbeck, Coupa’s chief finance officer, the unlimited vacation policy was about freedom. “We want to empower our people to make the right decisions and be responsible without bogging us down with many pages of policies and rules.”

As for the potential to abuse the system, he said, “If you’re making sure people are getting the job done, then this policy can’t be abused.”

However, Cornell's Miranda said some employees may not take the time off they deserve.

Because there are no specified vacation days, some employees may not take time off, especially if they are worried about their job performance. "If the company has a culture where it's working people to the bone they’ve not eliminated an aspect of forcing people to take time off," he said.

TheLadders, with 200 employees, has had the unlimited vacation-time benefit for three years. The longest period of time anyone has taken off consecutively since it's been offered is about five weeks, said Angela Romano Kuo, vice president of human resources for the company.

“Our salaried employees aren’t given a bank of vacation days; they take what they need,” she said. “If there’s a long weekend or a longer vacation that they want to take, they simply need to get their manager’s approval for the specific time off. Managers will ask the requesting employee for a plan of what will happen to his or her work during the absence, and if they’re confident that the workload will be covered, the request is approved, which it almost always is.”

In the end, she said, “Our employees are responsible for the quality of their work, responsible for the hours they work, so they should also be responsible for the amount of vacation time they use.” 

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Nearly half the workforce has taken sick time during the summer months even though they weren't sick, according to a survey.

Some people have a hard time keeping their minds on work when the sun’s shining outside, and that can lead to summer hooky.

Nearly half the workforce has taken sick time during the summer months even though they weren’t sick, according to a June online survey by Monster.com of about 1,400 employees.

The Monster poll found that 8 percent said they frequently called in sick from work in order to enjoy the summer, and 11 percent said they did it occasionally.

We all work hard. What’s wrong with taking a Monday off to extend your summer weekend?

That kind of thinking got one major employment law firm to send an advisory out to workers thinking of taking summertime sick time.

“We sent a letter out to our federal employees that especially this time of year, agency managers are looking at how employees are using their leave time,” said John Mahoney, an attorney for Tully Rinckey, that specializes in federal employment law. They’re looking for strange sick-time patterns, he explained, such as taking a lot of Mondays off sick after three day weekends.

September is the end of the fiscal year for the government, he continued, and given that budgets are tight, agency heads “get serious about taking action against employees who engage in this conduct.”

Mahoney pointed to a U.S. Treasury study that looked at IRS workers in 2005 and 2006 and found they used over 15 million hours of sick leave, for an estimated cost of $450 million in lost productivity.

That’s why, given recent budgetary restraints, government heads are starting to crack down on leave abuse, more so than in the 1990s, he added.

Sick days can be expensive for all types of employers, and there is no federal requirement in this country to provide paid sick time. Only about six in 10 workers in the private sector have paid sick leave, compared to nine out of 10 government workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Tough times in the public and private sectors have led to little tolerance for abuse of sick time, and during the Great Recession, workers actually reduced the number of sick days they were taking ... until recently.

In the first quarter, the absenteeism rate experienced a modest uptick, after plunging to record lows in 2009 and 2011, according to a Bloomberg BNA report released in May. 

While still below pre-recession levels, Matthew Sottong, director, surveys and research reports for Bloomberg BNA, said the increase could be a sign that workers are feeling a bit more secure in their jobs and willing to put in for sick time.

He expected the job-absence rate to continue to climb, but couldn’t say whether it’s because people are getting sick more often, or just abusing their leave benefits.

Whatever the reason, he said, “If this economic recovery does prove to create jobs, we’ll see people a little more apt to let go of their insecurities and take the time off.”

Sottong may be onto something. In some nations where the economy is growing faster than the United States, workers are more inclined to take those fake sick days.

A global study by The Workforce Institute at Kronos found that China was at the top of the list when it came to countries where employees admitted to playing hooky most.

In China, 71 percent of workers said they called in sick with out being sick; compared to India at 62 percent; Australia at 58 percent; Canada and the United States at 52 percent; the UK at 43 percent; Mexico at 38 percent and France with 16 percent.

Who would have thought the French would be more diligent than American workers?

Or maybe it’s because we need more time off. In France, workers typically get 30 days off for vacation, compared to 14 days for U.S. employees, according to an Expedia 2011 vacation study.

Americans are still keeping a tight grip on their wallets, bypassing vacations and dinners out, even though they feel better about their own financial security.

What’s still spooking U.S. consumers? Gas prices.

Even though gas prices have been declining for several months, nearly six in 10 consumers say they’ve cut back on nonessential spending because of hefty fuel prices, according to a study released Monday by Bankrate.com.

“Gas prices are still a drag on people’s spending power,” said Greg McBride, Bankrate’s senior financial analyst.

According to AAA, the national average price for regular unleaded fuel declined to $3.689 a gallon, down from $3.871 a gallon last month, and below the average prices of $3.867 a year ago.

“Despite the drop in recent weeks, gas prices are still at elevated levels,” he continued. This at a time, he pointed out, “when so many households are dealing with stagnant incomes.”

But there’s good news in the Bankrate.com report. Consumers are feeling pretty okay about their job security and their debt loads.

For the first time since December 2010, Bankrate’s Financial Security Index -- which tracks how consumer gauge there overall economic health -- passed the 100 threshold, which shows that Americans see an improvement in their financial security.

Bankrate's Financial Security Index

“We’ve seen improvement on multiple fronts,” McBride maintained. “People are feeling more secure in their jobs, they feel better about their debt burdens, and they’re reporting lower net worth with less frequency.”

The main reason for the optimism, he noted, was the stabilizing of home prices throughout many town across the country. “When people see home prices sliding they can see their net worth declining, but when they rise, all of a sudden they feel better about their net worth.”

So the wild card, he added, are gas prices. If they start to decline further, “that’s going to breath some life into household budgets and they’ll have more money to spend.”

And it may take off before the job market gets more robust. 

“While hiring has not exactly taken off, downsizing activity remains relatively low and many employers are actually worried about losing talent," maintained John Challenger, CEO of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. "This is not to say that job security has returned to pre-recession levels, but workers certainly are enjoying more security than two years ago."  

What’s your take? Have you decided to cut back on nights out at the movies, or Memorial Day travel because of gas prices? Do you feel more secure about you job? 

There’s an awkward pause that happens right after you ask your boss for a raise. 

What ever you do, don’t say anything.

“Silence is a power leveler,” said Selena Rezvani, negotiation expert and author of the recently released “Pushback: How Smart Women Ask--and Stand Up--for What They Want,” during our live Web chat Wednesday.

“Silence is one of the most under-used tactics in a negotiation,” she pointed out. “I'm talking about using this strategically. For example, being quiet right after you make your request, and being quiet again for a few seconds when you get your answer.”

Asking for more money is one of the toughest things employees have to do, but now may be the best time because many employers are handing out more pay raises. 

Rezvani offered advice on how to ask for everything from a raise to more vacations time during our live Web chat. Here’s a sampling of her answers to readers questions:

Renee asked:

“I have been at my job for two years and have never had a raise even mentioned to me. I feel I am valuable to my company with all I contribute. Fellow employees have told me that our company rarely gives raises, some have even said they wait 4 years for a raise. How can I approach my boss about this?”

Rezvani answered:

“First off, don't wait to be asked about your raise! It's best if you bring it up. I am not a fan of waiting until review time... If you have a strong case, make it anytime of the year, but preferably right after a big accomplishment.

“Also, don't be frightened out of asking for a raise just because no one else is doing it or "it's not done around here." If anything, there is less of a trend toward rewarding every employee the same exact way. Show why you specifically deserve this raise and how you can contribute at even higher levels in the future.”

Jay asked:

“How do you negotiate with an employer for more vacation time when they say it is non-negotiable during an interview?”

Rezvani answered:

“Vacation time is often negotiable - even when people say it's not. It all depends on how much they want you. If it's something you're emphatic about, tell them. But have an alternative or second-best outcome if they continually push back.

“Come up with options. If you're first choice is 30 vacation days, ask for that first. If they push back, try 28 days with reimbursement for a $1,000 training course. Your third option could be 25 days, a training course, and something else of value to you.”

For more of this enlightening discussion and targeted tips for employees trying to negotiate better, check out a replay of the Web chat here:

The economic doldrums left many Americans pinching pennies on vacation this summer — if they took a break at all.

Fewer Americans took a summer vacation this year than in the past two years, and the weak economy forced even many who did take a vacation to cut back on spending.

About one-third of American adults took a summer vacation this year, according to a poll conducted in late August by Rasmussen Reports. That’s down from 41 percent last year and 37 percent in 2009.

About half the people who did take a vacation this year and last year said the weak economy forced them to cut back on spending.

The results were based on a survey of 1,000 Americans conducted Aug. 30 and 31.

We hear a lot these days about how we’re working harder than ever and struggling with work/life balance. So we were surprised by a new survey finding that most vacation goers actually plan to leave work at the office this summer.

The survey - conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of jobs website Glassdoor - found that around 65 percent of workers who are taking a vacation this summer expect to check out of work completely.

Only 13 percent of the vacationing employees said they are expected to work while on vacation, and another 18 percent said they’d only have to work in an emergency.

The figures excluded people who said they were self-employed. The survey of around 2,000 people was conducted online in June.