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Last month the Center for Economic and Policy Research released its No-Vacation Nation report, which reveals that the U.S. is “the only advanced economy in the world that does not guarantee its workers paid vacation.†Those that do have vacation time aren’t taking it all, or are taking working vacations.--World Hum
We all want more vacation, but the surprising statistic is that US workers gave back close to 574 million vacation days in 2006, depriving themselves of much-needed breaks, according to Expedia's annual vacation deprivation survey. On average, Americans leave at least four days unclaimed annually. And the number of vacation days employees are skipping this year is forecasted to increase by one over last year.--Ere.Net
While employed men are still more likely than their female counterparts to work more than 40 hours per week, this year, men and women receive about the same number of vacation days from their employer. However, men are more likely than women to leave some vacation days on the table, and to feel guilty about taking time off from work.--Expedia's Vacation Deprivation Study (pdf)
Okay, seriously, cut that out. First of all, you wouldn't ask for a pay cut just because you're too busy. When you lose your two weeks vacation time because you didn't use it, you're handing two weeks pay back to your employer. So knock it off.
Hols are good for work, as any sane European will tell you. After one week of decompressing and one week of rejuvenating, your productivity shoots up. Get more time off, and you're panting to go back to work. When was the last time you felt like that?--talk talk talk
Now, check out the chart in this post..
After reviewing the paid vacation and holiday policies of every advanced country you can think of and a couple you can't, they find that we're the only industrialized naton not to legislate any paid time off and holidays to our workforce. --Ezra Klein
What are you going to do with the time you have? Use it well. Try the work detox program from Slow Leadership.
Have someone monitoring you all the time, with permission to call you to order sharply. All addicts are devious and very ready to find ways to feed their addictions in secret. If you find yourself hiding some work-based activity—or, much worse, lying to conceal it—be very afraid. Your addiction is serious.
There's hope. Some employers are looking at new ways to deal with free time deprived workers.
Employees at the online movie retailer often leave for three, four, even five weeks at a time and never clock in or out. Vacation limits and face-time requirements, says Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings, are "a relic of the industrial age."--Mercury News
I haven't held a full time job in nearly ten years and vacation deprivation is exactly the reason. As I get older, I do worry about having regular contributions to a 401k. I do worry about the increasing costs of individual health insurance policies. But when the days get torn off the calendar, I worry more about my sanity, about my mental health, about my quality of life. I'm lucky - I've been able to patch together a living doing work I like, I've been able to travel in European sized bites of time. But I worry for my compatriots who feel torn between that two week road trip to see the National Parks and the new client. Finland has not crumbled in to the sea because of their generous national vacation policy. Austria has not shortened its life expectancy. And you? You need a vacation. You've earned it, it's part of your compensation package. I don't want to hear your excuses, get outta here. Go on, summer's coming, get yourself to the beach or camping or something, anything. You'll be a better worker for the rest, I promise.
Pam blogs about travel and other adventures at Nerd's Eye View. She was "on vacation" for five months last year and seems to have survived.
