Battleangel

As we all know, Americans have the fewest vacation days per person and year of all industrialized nations. But a new study indicates that U.S. employees have been wound up and intimidated to such a degree that they wont even use up their measly 14 days average. Freedom, use it or lose it.

CNN - A survey conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by the travel site Expedia found that 33 percent of us leave vacation days on the table. The average number of days workers forfeit: four, up from three in last year’s survey.

A study released last year by the Family and Work Institute (FWI) also found that about a third of workers (36 percent) did not plan to use all their vacation days. And 37 percent said they never taken more than a week off at a time.

There are a host of reasons working adults offer for why they may give up vacation time or take their time only in short spurts:

- They prefer the money if their employers agree to pay them for the days they forfeit.

- They experience increased stress at work both in the run-up to vacation and immediately upon their return.

- They’re just too busy to leave.

- They’re afraid their boss will hold it against them.

See also: Americans Sicker Than English … and how this is related to work culture and ethics.