Need a Vacation?

It might be the beginning of vacation season, but surveys in the last few weeks have highlighted that less Americans are taking vacations. A recent poll by CareerBuilder found that 35% of Americans are scrapping a 2009 vacation.

For almost three-fourths (71%) of those polled, the reason they aren’t taking a vacation is simple: They can’t afford it. For another fifth of workers, they are afraid of losing their jobs if they go on vacation, or feel guilty being away from the office (see “These Days, Vacations are NOT Us“).

A poll from AP-Gfk found similar results. Its survey reported that one-third of Americans have canceled a trip this year because of financial concerns. Another 11% said they decided to vacation closer to home this year due to financial concerns. Overall, more than half of (56%) of individuals surveyed are not planning to take a vacation trip this summer (see “Economy Taking a Toll on Vacations“).

Regardless of the economy, it seems taking a vacation can ironically be kind of stressful. A Randstad poll of full-time employed adults found that vacations are a large cause of employee stress. Almost half (43%) of workers find preparing their boss and/or co-workers for their absence to be stressful. Although, once on vacation, a clear majority (70%) are out of “work mode” as soon as they leave the office (see “Vacation Just not Worth It?“).

However, others have trouble leaving the office fully behind. The CareerBuilder poll found some 28% of workers contact the office at least once, regardless of what they are working on. We are guessing many advisers might be in that category.