Vacation Days Gone Astray

How many of us spend day after day entrapped in four walls, caught in the corporate grind, while staring at a tropical scene on our computer desktop, wishing we were anywhere but at work?

Would it surprise you to hear that despite our tropical daydreams, 33 percent of working Americans forfeit much of their granted vacation time? According to Expedia, this group passes up an average of four paid vacation days per year.

“And it's not as if the United States leads the world in vacation days granted. The average is 14 days in 2006, according to the survey, which is far below that of many other industrialized countries such as Great Britain (24 days) or France (39 days).”

So why would someone pass up an opportunity to escape corporate America? Some top reasons given include hectic work schedules, increased stress that accompanies days off, and fear of what the boss will think, among others. Some employees even believe they will be labeled as “lazy” by their peers for using the vacation time granted to them.

Do you find yourself making excuses to pass up some well-deserved time off? Jeanne Sahadi, CNNMoney.com senior writer explains why this practice may be hindering your overall health and well-being. Read the full article.

Posted by Shelly Paul, Career Management Coordinator, The H.S. Group