NORWALK, CONN. - While some Americans wait all year to cash out on their accrued vacation days, a privileged few receive additional time off from their employers during the summer season. Priceline.com, a leader in online and mobile travel, and part of The Priceline Group, released the results of their new 'Summer Getaway' survey, reporting that just eight percent of the 15,723 Americans surveyed receive additional time off during the summer, from Summer Friday's, extra days for discretionary use or office-wide early closures.
Of the lucky eight percent or 558 respondents who are receiving additional time off from work this summer, 38 percent say their boss would not want them to work while on vacation. However, the ability to go on vacation and actually disconnect from work is often easier said than done. Twenty-seven percent of those who receive extra time off say their employers would like them to stay connected and 11 percent say their employers would like them to work.
"Fortunately, more than half of those who receive extra time off feel that their employers want them to take advantage of the summer to recharge, so it's no surprise that nearly 40% of them will use that time off to travel," said Flavie Lemarchand-Wood, Vice President of Communications for priceline.com. "Priceline.com makes it easy for travelers on any budget at any time to quickly connect to summer getaways with Express Deals for hotels, rental cars and flights via the free mobile app."
Priceline.com's 'Summer Getaway' survey reveals what those do with their extra vacation time this summer and the sentiment their employers have about using this time off, among other key findings, including:
Less Vacation, More Stress. About one in 10 respondents who receive extra time off this summer will unfortunately be using that time to catch up on work, and approximately one in three (35%) respondents, who lost three or more vacation days this summer compared to last, reported high stress levels. More vacation time equals less stress.
The Long Weekend. When it comes to vacations, one out of three respondents (36%) who receive additional time off during the summer plan on traveling over catching up on errands or work. And if they plan on making it a long three-day weekend, 34 percent say the longest road trip they would take is about five to seven hours away. One quarter of respondents' ideal road trip would be to somewhere no more than two to four hours away.
Planning the Trip. Almost half (46%) of respondents who receive extra time off during the summer, plan their vacations a month or more in advance. One in ten respondents prefer to take spur-of-the-moment summer weekend trips. Almost half (45%) of those who are using their extra time off will plan their vacations while at work.
