T For Travel

According to a 2006 study American workers give back 1.6 million years of vacation time to their employer each year.  And also per 2006 findings, about a quarter of workers in America do not receive paid vacation time.

Comparatively, American workers work two weeks longer than those in Japan and two months longer than Germans, who are reported to sometimes get up to 15 weeks of paid vacation a year.

On average, Europeans get about four weeks of vacation each year.  Only workers in Mexico receive less vacation time than Americans. The country with the most vacation time is Denmark, with 31 days of vacation time.

What is it about Americans and the American worker? Well in corporate environments it’s all a matter of competitiveness. If the top companies only offer one to two weeks of paid vacation time, then certainly companies in that same field will offer the same amount for a similar job or position in that field.

Here’s the thing, Americans are complete workaholics and it’s only getting worse. Most Americans simply can’t relax because they are always tied to their work via their cell phone, blackberry, or I phone. Most people can’t let work lie while they are on vacation and especially with technology these days.

It’s about time that Americans reclaimed their vacation time. Take a trip to Hawaii for goodness sake. But studies show that most Americans feel guilty asking for vacation time so they use their sick time to take personal days or if they have personal obligations.

The American mentality is work hard and play hard. And the output of America compared to Europe is staggering. The Gross Domestic Product of Europe has been grown 2.4 percent in the past five years compared with 5 percent in the United States, and European nations have been looking into changing its vacation policies.

But there is no doubt the American worker needs to chill out too every once in awhile. So take that vacation time, book Lanai vacation packages, and rest and relax people!