Workers not Using Up Vacation Time

April 18, 2007 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Workers are reluctant to exhaust the vacation time they are allotted, with 56% saying they don't use up all of their vacation days, according to a recent survey by the Hudson Employment Index.

According to a press release about the survey , while more than 56% don’t use all of their vacation, 30% of workers use less than half of the days they are allowed.

About 20% of workers plan stealing away for only a long weekend, rather than taking a full vacation. However, non-managers were more likely (20%) than managers (18%) to say they would only take the long weekend.

One-quarter (24%) of workers say their bosses expect them to be accessible while on vacation and that figure jumps to 34% among managers. Managers were more likely to check in with the office when they are away (35%), while only 14% of non-managers do the same.

Seventy-eight percent of workers give their employers high marks when it comes to flexibility for time off for personal matters, such as doctor’s appointments and nearly the same amount (80%) say their bosses were understanding when they just needed to stay home because they weren’t feeling well.

Other survey findings include:

  • 58% of all workers return from vacation more relaxed than when they left, while 21% come back to the office more stressed.
  • 34% of workers get less than a week of vacation time each year, including 24% who don’t get any.
  • 13% of the workforce gets more than five weeks of vacation time.

«