Relaxation/Vacation
Vacation deprivationMany of us love the thought of taking time off, but when it comes to taking the days we're already allotted, Canadians get a failing grade. LINDA WHITE |
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 [ 2006-07-10 ] |
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Made plans for a vacation yet? Many of us love the thought of taking time off and would even sacrifice a portion of our paycheque for additional vacation days, but when it comes to taking the days we're already allotted, Canadians get a failing grade.
Nearly one-quarter of employed Canadians forfeit an average of two days of vacation a year, the fourth annual Expedia.ca/Ipsos-Reid Vacation Deprivation Study reveals.
"2 days on the table"
"We're still leaving two days on the table, even though 22% of employed Canadians say they would take a lower salary for more vacation time," sociologist and stress expert Beverly Beuermann-King says. "We want more time off, we need more time off, but we're not taking it."
So why aren't we taking all our vacation days? Not scheduling in advance (11%), too busy at work (9%) and taking cash in lieu of days (8%) are among the top reasons. About two in 10 of us have cancelled or postponed our vacation plans in the past because of work and 18% check our work messages while on vacation.
"We need to think about why we think we can't get away. What if you were in a car accident? You need to set up policies, procedures and safeguards to help you take that downtime," Beuermann-King says.
The study suggests vacations are more important than ever. More than two-thirds of employed Canadians reported feeling stress just before, after or during a vacation. "We're working at 100%. Just like a car engine, you can't rev it constantly without maintenance time," Beuermann-King says.
"We need that downtime to be more creative and productive. The more in doesn't necessarily mean the more out ... We need to gather our energies to deal with the next stress that comes along."
Last year, employed Canadians reported receiving an average of 21 vacation days a year. This year, the average is 19 -- giving us the dubious honour of receiving the fewest vacation days per year, just ahead of the United States (14 days) and Australia (17 days), the study reveals.
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