Americans Forgo Vacation Time Fearing Job Security

Americans have a love/ hate relationship with their vacation time. We're always complaining of how little of it we actually get, while sweeping it to the side when we get the opportunity to take advantage of it. Top that off with the consistent, nagging worry of losing our jobs, and it's a miracle that the majority of working Americans aren't chugging away for 52 straight weeks a year.

According to MSNBC's reporting, only one half of Americans use all of their vacation days, with another third of Americans checking in frequently with the office while on vacation. Another surprising fact is that a good majority of Americans felt that only three to four days were necessary to unwind in a break, while people in other areas of the world would scoff at the idea of taking a four-day holiday. So this begs the question: Are we truly worried about job security, or are we just workaholics who can't unplug?

A new study from StudyLogic, a Cedarhurst, N.Y., research firm, says both. Americans are workaholics, oftentimes checking in hourly with the office while on vacation. But alongside that, we've also become afraid to take vacation time, fearing that it will look bad compared to other workers who are opting to stay and work. With an unemployment rate still over 9 percent, many U.S. workers may feel that taking a vacation when so many other are jobless is indulgent.

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