Statistics About Stressed American Works

We've all heard an overworked, stressed American quip about the ball and chain that attaches him to his desk. Cell phones, PDAs, laptops with WiFi - they all keep us wirelessly connected to the office and boss. By the time that your vacation time is up for grabs, it's likely that you're buried under so many stacks of paperwork that you forget you had time available, or else guilty stares from your co-workers keep you stationed at the desk.

Orbitz, an online travel webstie, recently looked at the connection between travel and the emotional and physical well-being of the American traveler. Just maybe, are we more well-balanced than our fast paced lifestyle might suggest?

So, they asked Americans:

-- Are Americans getting away?
-- Who in the nation is taking the most vacation?
-- Are employers pressuring their workers to stay connected? Or worse, skip this year's vacation entirely?
-- What are the "must have" items to pack?

Randy Wagner, Orbitz Chief Marketing Officer, has a background in behavioral psychology and customer motivation.

"Travel is an important way to promote emotional and physical well-being," said Wagner. "We're keeping our fingers on the pulse of America 's travel needs, ensuring the best way to make the journey a less stressful and more enjoyable experience."

Despite recent reports and polls that report working Americans are letting their vacation time go unused and suffer email addiction, travelers who participated in the study reinforce a different point of view:

-- A strong majority (72%) of Americans report that they have traveled at least once in the past year.

-- More than half (60%) of working Americans report taking at least two weeks of vacation a year.

-- Over two-thirds (68%) of employed Americans have taken at least one week of vacation in the past six months.

-- More than half (60%) of working Americans don't check in with work at all during their vacations.

But are employers across America happy about it?

A strong majority of employed travelers (65%) report that they are encouraged by their bosses to take their vacation time. However, some regions of the country differ on the pressure they feel from their employers to either stay connected during their travels -- or worse, skip their vacation completely.

And while many Americans might guess that the rat race of Wall Street would frown on employees taking their vacation time without being plugged into the office, the results of the survey speak differently:

-- Working Americans out West (40%) are more likely to disagree that their employers encourage them to take their vacation time.

-- Among those working full or part time, Southern residents are more likely than those who live out West to not check in with work at all during their vacation. The survey also indicates that Southerners are most likely to report they are frequent travelers.

-- And maybe most surprising, employed residents of the Northeast (27%) are the most likely to report a very recent work-free, disconnected vacation.

Age also plays a significant factor in the need to feel connected. Nearly half of employed individuals under age 25 report a lot or some pressure to stay connected to work, while three quarters of working travelers ages 25-34 say they feel little or no pressure.

Some travelers may feel the need to be connected, but the bigger picture shows a much more balanced America.

-- A nominal percentage (2%) of working Americans say a popular wireless email device is the most important technology to take on the road.

-- Mobile phones (38%) and digital cameras (34%) were voted the most important technologies to take on vacation.

-- Another indicator of work-life balance, a clear minority of working Americans (11%) said it was important to take their laptops while traveling.

(Source: Orbitz)