More Americans 'Cutting the Cord' When on Vacation

July 5, 2007 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A new survey from Orbitz indicates more Americans are severing their ties from work and resisting the urge to stay connected while on vacation.

According to an Orbitz news release, nearly one-third (29%) of survey respondents said they felt compelled to stay connected when away from work, an improvement by a 4% drop from last year. In addition, the number of respondents who said they do not check email while on vacation increased 4% to 64%.

Respondents age 18-34 were most likely to report checking in with work or work email at least once a day while on vacation (24% compared to 16% overall), while respondents age 55 and over were much more likely to say they never check in on vacation (76%), the release said.

The survey also found 35% of respondents have taken up to five days of vacation in the past year, a 14% increase from last year. Two thirds (65%) have taken at least a full week off in the past year.

However, the number of respondents who took 10-15 days of vacation (17%) or more than 15 days of vacation (27%) in the past year each dropped 8% from last year. Less than half of Americans polled (44%) said they take two weeks of vacation or more each year.

Sixty percent of survey respondents said their bosses encourage them to use their vacation time, while 25% said their bosses did not.

The poll was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs with 1,006 consumers age 18 and over.

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