More bosses in U.S. taking vacation than employees

19 per cent of full-time workers can’t afford to take holiday: Survey

The recession caused many American workers to rule out their annual vacations but bosses are finding more time for getaways than their workers, according to a survey from CareerBuilder. Eighty-one per cent of managers have taken or plan to take a vacation this year, compared to 65 per cent of full-time employees.

While the number of American workers who have already taken or plan to take a vacation is up from 61 per cent in 2011, the number of vacationers falls well below pre-financial crisis levels. In 2007, 80 per cent of full-time workers went on vacation or expected to take a vacation that year.

Vacations are still financially out of reach for many Americans, found the survey of 2,303 hiring managers and HR professionals and 5,772 workers. One-fifth (19 per cent) said they can’t afford to go on vacation, down from 24 per cent in 2011. An additional 12 per cent of workers said they can afford vacations but have no plans to take one, consistent with past years.

“Managers may be more likely to afford vacations but they should still be encouraging their employees to use paid time off, even if they are staying close to home,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice-president of human resources at CareerBuilder. “Workers who maximize vacation time are less likely to burn out and more likely to maintain productivity levels. Heavy workloads and financial constraints can make it difficult to get away from work, but even if you’re not traveling far from home, a few days away can have a very positive impact on your health and happiness.”

The duration of vacations is shrinking post-recession, found the survey. This year, 17 per cent of workers took or planned to take a vacation for 10 days or more. That’s down from 24 per cent in 2007.

Three in 10 contact work during their vacation, on par with last year, found CareerBuilder. More than one-third of managers (37 per cent) said they expect their employees to check with work while on vacation, although most said only if the employee is involved in a big project or major issue going on with the company.

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