Are you experiencing feelings of jealousy when a co-worker or friend returns from vacation? Hmmm…then I’m afraid you’ve got a bad case of vacation envy, a direct result of a pervasive condition now known as Vacation Deprivation.

North Americans are prone to workaholism as they continue in their never-ending pursuit of happiness – that is, the ever increasing acquisition and consumption of goods and services. We should be looking to Europe though, to find a better balance in our lives. People over there (and of course I’m generalizing) take the time to enjoy what they already have…and it works too! Companies are as good as the workers that back them up so happy workers mean profits. And what’s the best gift you can give an employee? More vacation time! According to Mad Morten, a minimum of three weeks paid vacation is mandatory (yes by law people) for every Norwegian worker, regardless of seniority. I tell ya, I’d certainly be more willing to take on that extra project with this kind of incentive.

But it’s not always just about having enough vacation time. I used to dread planning a holiday because my company wouldn’t spring for a temp in my absence so that even when I was supposed to enjoy my time off, I’d be stressing about the mounting work that awaited me. That is perhaps why according to this year’s Vacation Deprivation survey, nearly one third of British Columbians are not taking all of their vacation time.

Click on for more of the Ipsos-Reid findings and find out how we can keep this condition from spreading (management make note!)

Rising Vacation Deprivation Condition in British Columbia Leading to Vacation Envy, Expedia.ca Survey Reveals
More than half of working BC residents have experienced vacation envy

VANCOUVER, BC – May 13, 2008 – The sixth annual Expedia.ca Vacation Deprivation survey by Ipsos-Reid reveals that nearly one third (32%) of British Columbians are not taking all of their vacation time (up from 25% last year) and 42% of BC residents identify themselves as being vacation deprived (up from 25% last year). BC employees give back an average of 3.10 days (up from 2 days last year) of unused vacation time to their employers. This translates into nearly 41 million untaken days in Canada overall and a staggering $6.3 billion (CDN) in wages handed back to employers.

“It is becoming increasingly difficult for Canadians to break away and enjoy a real vacation, given the popularity of electronic devices like Blackberries and feelings of vacation guilt brought on by some employers or colleagues,” says Beverly Beuermann-King, a stress and wellness expert. “As the Vacation Deprivation condition creeps up, it’s not surprising to see vacation envy emerging as an issue in the workplace.”

Vacation envy on the rise

Vacation Deprivation symptoms can lead to vacation envy – feelings of jealousy when a co-worker or friend returns from vacation. This year’s survey revealed that 54% of British Columbians admit they have felt vacation envy at some point in their life. Some Canadians are more susceptible to envy – women (48%) are more likely than men (35%) to have felt vacation envy and younger Canadians aged 18 to 34 (59%) are twice as likely to have suffered from vacation envy, compared to those over the age of 54 (26%).

Are electronic devices helping or hindering vacation planning?

When asked if technological advances such as Blackberries, PDAs, Pocket PCs, webmail or cell phones make it easier to take vacations, 45% of BC workers feel that technological advances have made it more difficult to get away from work, up from 41% last year. Only 19% of BC workers feel that technological devices make it easier for them to get away from the office. Men (22%) are also more likely than women (15%) to feel that it is easier to get away from the office with electronic devices.

What prompts Canadians to take time off?

The survey found that a majority (55%) of British Columbians indicate that a family event, such as a wedding or family reunion, would prompt them to use their allotted vacation time. “Finding a great deal” on a vacation would prompt 50% of BC residents to book a trip and 36% say that their interest in an amazing vacation destination inspires them to book time off work. Travel options such as convenient flight times or direct flights also encourage 37% of British Columbians to use their vacation days.

Increasing vacation stimulation at work

More than a quarter of BC workers (26%) believe that their employer does not offer a fair vacation policy. What can employers do to help decrease Vacation Deprivation symptoms among their staff? The survey found that 24% of BC employees feel that a mandatory policy to take a minimum number of vacation days per year would do the trick. BC employees believe that employers can motivate them to take vacation time by lightening their work load (20%), encouraging them to take time off (21%) and offering a fair vacation policy (19%).

VD from sea to shining sea

The survey revealed that British Columbians (42%) are the most likely to identify themselves as vacation deprived, followed by those living in Alberta (41%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (37%), Ontario (36%), Atlantic Canada (30%) and Quebec (19%). Residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (42%) are most likely to have not taken all of their vacation days, followed by those living in Alberta (36%), Atlantic Canada (36%), British Columbia (32%), Ontario (29%) and Quebec (18%).

Why aren’t we taking time off?

Almost a quarter (23%) of BC residents revealed they have cancelled or postponed their vacation plans in the past because of work. According to the survey, some reasons for not taking all vacation days are:

· “not scheduling far enough in advance” (15%)
· “too busy with work to get away” (12%)
· “having kids in school” (5%)
· “fear of being perceived negatively by colleagues” (4%)
· “fear of missing an important meeting or decision” (4%)

Additionally, BC workers may also find it stressful to take vacations – 35% feel guilty about taking time off and 33% say that their employer does not encourage them to take all of their vacation time.

Get Vacation Deprivation syndrome under control and celebrate summer!

It’s time to cure Vacation Deprivation syndrome and seek adventure this summer with Expedia.ca’s Summer Sale. Book your dream summer vacation now and take advantage of the savings with 30% off select hotels in Canada, USA, Europe, Latin America, Caribbean, Asia-Pacific and select resorts.

Survey Methodology

Ipsos-Reid

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid poll conducted on behalf of Expedia from 03/25 to 03/28, 2008. This online survey of 2,032 employed adult Canadians was conducted via the Ipsos I-Say Online Panel, Ipsos Reid’s national online panel. The results are based on a sample where quota sampling and weighting are employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data. Quota samples with weighting from the Ipsos online panel provide results that are intended to approximate a probability sample. An unweighted probability sample of this size, with a 100% response rate, would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

About Expedia.ca

Expedia, Inc. operates Canada’s most visited full-service online travel service, Expedia.ca. To help Canadians plan and purchase travel, Expedia.ca provides the best combination of scheduled and charter flights, car and hotel reservations, vacation packages, destination activities, cruises, trip insurance and traveller-authored content. Expedia.ca customers are supported by customer support agents available 24 hours a day, seven days a week via a toll-free number and email response.