Weak Economy Pushes Americans To Forego Vacation Plans

The ailing economy is taking a toll on Americans' vacation plans, with more than a third of workers planning to forego their seasonal break, a survey showed Monday.

The annual vacation survey by recruitment firm CareerBuilder found 35 percent of workers indicated they have not taken or will not take a vacation in 2009.

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Among those skipping their vacation, 71 percent said it was because they could not afford it, according to the survey from February 20 through March 11 of more than 4,400 workers.

The survey found nearly one of five workers indicates they are either afraid of losing their jobs if they go on vacation or feel guilty being away from the office.

"While the current economy may be causing workers anxiety about taking a vacation this year, a break from work is essential for maintaining healthy productivity levels in the office," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder.

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"Workers should plan ahead and make it a goal to use their vacation benefits; 15 percent reported that they didn't use all of their allotted time last year. Utilizing your time off is even more important now due to the added responsibilities and pressure that some workers may be faced with due to the current economic situation."

The survey, released a week before the traditional Memorial Day kickoff of the summer vacation season, also found 50 percent of employers expect employees to check in with the office while they are away, especially if they are working on a big project or there is a major issue with the company.

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Some 28 percent workers say they plan to contact the office at least once, regardless of what they are working on, while they are on vacation.

Source-AFP
LIN

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