What Is Vacation?
“Vacation” is defined in Webster’s as “being free from a duty or service; an intermission; a period of rest and recreation; a holiday.” Good vacations can be a stress reliever and are a time to practice living, getting connected and having fun again.
VACATION DEPRIVATION is what happens when people work too much and have too little time off.
Expedia first commissioned the Vacation Deprivation Report in 2000, to examine the work-life balance of people worldwide, and to get a better picture of what barriers might be standing between travelers and getting time away. After over 2 decades of study, vacation deprivation remains a persistent problem.
Do You Use All Of Your Vacation Time?
Years of championing for Canadians vacationing rights and we are still finding that Canadians are not using all of their vacation time.
The Annual Expedia.ca Report revealed that Canadians are giving back days 2 days in unused vacation. As well, over half of employed Canadians, feel more or just as vacation-deprived as they did five years ago.
While previous VD Surveys revealed that BC and Alberta were the most vacation-deprived workers in Canada, Quebec, which seems to emulate the European lifestyle of “work to live rather than live to work”, seems to be the least deprived.
The US and Mexico fare worse with an annual average of 13 and 14 vacation days respectively. France and Germany continues to reign as the least vacation-deprived country with 29 days.
Who tops the list of the most vacation deprived?
Young employed adults. Gen Z seem to be sacrificing valuable time off for career growth and are the demographic most likely to describe themselves as vacation-deprived. Our young adults are also more likely to trade in vacation time for money and are more likely to feel guilty about taking time off. Younger Canadians find technological advances make it harder to get away and are most likely to check their messages while on vacation.
Beverly’s Hot Tips For Avoiding Vacation Deprivation:
- Don’t wait until you find the perfect time to book your vacation. Too often we let our workloads and schedules interfere with taking our vacation time. Plan, Book and Pay for your vacation early so that nothing gets in your way.
- Plan the right vacation for you. If you need to relax, make a plan to find plenty of relaxing things to do (or not do).
- Ease in and out of your vacation time. There is nothing worse than a person returning from their vacation saying they need a vacation from their vacation.
- Once on vacation don’t forget to appreciate the quite times. Most of us get so uptight that we forget to take time to focus on the beauty. Take the time to breathe deeply, laugh and nurture your soul.
Contact Beverly about hosting a mental health workshop for your teams on work life balance. Discover tips to deal with stress and how to build resilience!
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If you have some strategies to share – comment on this posting!
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Additional Resources:
Vacation Deprivation Infographic
Corporate Wellness Benefits – Vacation Benefits
Relaxation Day: Watch For Leisure Sickness
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