Many U.S. Workers Suffer From Self-Imposed Vacation Deprivation

A new study conducted by the Universal Orlando Resort has shown that U.S. workers are in the midst of a vacation crisis-but it's a crisis they have created on their own. According to the study, about half of all American workers did not use all of their earned vacation days last year, forfeiting an average of nearly half the number of days available to them. This year many U.S. workers have not even made vacation plans yet, because they are not sure if they will even take a vacation. These sacrifices are equal to more than 3 million years of unused vacation time each year.

Tom Williams, Chairman and CEO of Universal Parks and Resorts, commented on the results of the study. "Can you imagine your reaction if you were told in a job interview that you were expected to work eight days each year for free? That's what about half of the American workforce is doing. Ultimately, though, it's not just about whether you're taking full advantage of your compensation and benefits. It's about whether you're taking full advantage of life." Indeed, the best part of life in America is supposed to be living the American dream, not living to go to work each day.

Bert Sperling, of Sperling's Best Places, assisted with the study, and his research discovered that where a person lives has great impact on whether or not they use all of their vacation time. Sperling said that the top-ranking cities for unused vacation time are located, not surprisingly, in geographic areas with higher unemployment rates. Full-time workers living in and around Newark, New Jersey, received the fewest number of vacation days each year and took the least amount of time off. Workers in Sacramento, California, received and took the most vacation days. "Areas with shaky economies tend to have businesses which have more control over their workers," said Sperling. "The implication might be that workers who have job security concerns want to be seen as indispensable to their employers. So taking vacation, in their minds, would undermine that."

According to the study, the top ten cities where workers take the fewest vacation days off are, in order:

• Newark, N.J.
• Miami
• Bergen-Passaic, N.J.
• San Antonio
• Atlanta
• Austin - San Marcos, Texas
• Charlotte - Gastonia - Rock Hill, N.C.
• Philadelphia
• Houston
• New York City

The top ten cities where workers take the most vacation days off are, in order:

• Sacramento, Calif.
• Nashville, Tenn.
• Seattle - Bellevue- Everett, Wash.
• Oakland, Calif.
• San Jose, Calif.
• Riverside - San Bernardino, Calif.
• Portland - Vancouver, Ore.
• Salt Lake City - Ogden, Utah
• Columbus, Ohio
• Denver

It may seem that workers who don't take all their vacation days are committed to their employers and therefore they are ensuring their place in the company by making themselves indispensable. However, the reverse may be true if their work begins to suffer from burnout or stress. Joe Robinson, author of "Work to Live: The Guide to Getting a Life," is an outspoken advocate of taking regular vacations to improve work performance. According to Robinson, "The study reinforces the sad fact that our workaholic culture looks down on people taking their well-earned vacation time, when, in fact, the science shows that job performance increases after a vacation, because you come back recharged and rejuvenated. Time off is medicine. It's as important to your health as watching your cholesterol or getting exercise." Robinson adds that by skipping a regular vacation, American workers aren't doing themselves-or their employers-any favors. "An annual vacation can cut the risk of heart disease in men by 30 percent and in women by 50 percent." So, to avoid destroying your health, which could impact your job, it's important to get the vacation you have earned. Here are some of Robinson's tips for planning and taking a well-deserved break from the daily grind:

• Don't wait until it is too late. Start planning your vacation at least six months ahead of time, and go ahead and ask for time off, make reservations, and arrange travel plans. Planning ahead commits your boss to the vacation, and committing yourself as well makes it less likely that the vacation will be postponed or scrapped at the last minute.
• Cross-train your colleagues. Take the time to show one or two of your co-workers the main tasks of your job so they can fill in for you while you're gone. Arrange to have them train you as well, so you can do the same for them. This type of cross-training is the secret behind European workers being able to take long vacations without businesses suffering.
• Leave your e-mail at home. Set up your e-mail program to return an "out of the office" reply whenever people try to contact you electronically. Don't take a laptop, pager, or other work device with you-maybe not even a cell phone that other people know the number to. If people at the office can reach you, then you're not on vacation.
• Don't limit yourself. Ask off for whatever time you've earned, and take it in large chunks of time. Three-day weekends are fine for mini-breaks now and then, but they're not vacations.

The most important thing to remember about vacations is not to pack your bags. Instead, be sure to unpack before you go. Leave behind any items that might thwart a successful break, such as the "productive work" frame of mind and the guilt that goes with it. Vacations are not about output; they're about input-exploring, learning, experiencing, relaxing.