MountainWings       A MountainWings Moment
#4233              Wings Over The Mountains of Life



Get Some Rest
=========

Vacation deprivation is running rampant, workplace experts say.

American productivity is up, but so is depression and the amount
of money spent on coping with burned-out workers.

"Right now, it's a race to the bottom as companies cut labor to
the bone," said Joe Robinson, who founded the Work to Live
campaign, which is lobbying for a minimum of three weeks of
vacation for all Americans.

Robinson, who wrote "Work to Live: The Guide to Getting a Life,"
said politicians from both parties are showing signs of support.
The three weeks Robinson wants for Americans is less than the
five, six and even greater amounts of time off granted in
Europe.

Robinson says clocking more hours doesn't necessarily mean more
work is getting done. He points to studies that show that
workers deliver the same amount of productivity over seven weeks
whether they worked 40 or 50 hours per week.

Expedia.com's recent vacation survey suggests that Americans
hand back to employers more than $21 billion in unused vacation
hours. More people say they are taking less time away from work
and feel guilt when they do break away.

The "e-leash," tethering workers to the office while they are
supposed to be resting is becoming increasingly common, Robinson
said. Cell phones, e-mail and remote-access voice mail make it
easier to keep working.

CIGNA HealthCare, for example, doesn't have a set policy about
workers checking in from vacation, said Lane Pittman, executive
vice president of human resources in Phoenix.

"Most of our employees work directly with their managers to
ensure their responsibilities are covered appropriately,"
Pittman said. "There are times, given business needs, that it's
not possible (for workers to be out of touch with work). We may
ask employees if we can contact them while on vacation."

Such interruptions to time off are managed by planning ahead,
she said. CIGNA grants increasing amounts of vacation with
length of service.

Yet nationwide, 13 percent of all companies don't offer vacation
time, up from 5 percent in 1998, Robinson said.

"Business has to understand they pick up a tab of $150 billion a
year in job-stress costs," he said. "We are at the mercy of
people who would rather get a root canal than give us time off."

Carol Kamin, nonprofit executive director for the Arizona
Children's Action Alliance, understands both the need to check
into the office and stay away.

"For two weeks, I didn't know what was going on," Kamin said of
a recent trip to Eastern Europe. At first, that was difficult.
"Then it stopped mattering."

Like so many other professionals, she has worked while
vacationing. She has been known to check voice mail continuously
while on vacation.

"The moment you do that, it gobbles you up."

By CHRISTINE L. ROMERO

Copyright 2004 Gannett Co., Inc

From The Mountain:
They Don’t Give A Hoot> http://www.mountainwings.com/past/3090.htm
Free Time> http://www.mountainwings.com/past/3255.htm
The Fourth Commandment > www.TheOnLineWord.com/s/5021.wma  
Get Some Rest (a comment on this issue) www.mountainwings.com/past/4247.htm
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