Survey: Nearly half of retail workers forego vacation

Chicago A survey by CareerBuilder has found that two-in-five (41%) retail workers are not planning on taking a vacation this year.

Twenty-eight percent indicate it is because they just can’t afford it; 5% are afraid they’ll lose their jobs if they go on vacation and 19% feel guilty being away from work.

The annual vacation survey also found that those who do leave for vacation don’t make a clean break. Nearly half (45%) of retail employers say they expect employees to check in while they are away, with 39% indicating check-in will be necessary only if the employee is working on a big project or there is a major issue going on with the company.

One-in-five (19%) retail workers say they plan to contact work once or more, regardless of their responsibilities, while they are on vacation.

“While the current economy may be causing workers anxiety about taking a vacation this year, a break from work is essential for maintaining healthy productivity levels,” said Ben Jablow, managing director of WorkInRetail.com, CareerBuilder’s retail employment site. “Workers should plan ahead and make it a goal to use their vacation benefits this year; nearly one-in-10 retail workers reported that they didn’t use all of their allotted time last year. Utilizing your time off is even more important now due to the added responsibilities and pressure that some workers may be faced with due to the current economic situation.”

The annual survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder.com among 2,543 hiring managers and human resource professionals and 4,435 U.S. full-time employees between Feb. 20 and March 11.