Orbitz survey reveals work-life balance trends

July 05, 2007 | Online Travel

Nearly one-third of those surveyed felt compelled to stay connected when away from work. Young adults age 18-34 are most likely to report checking in with work/work email at least once a day while on vacation.

Orbitz announced the results of its second annual “Take 5 to Travel” Survey examining trends in work-life balance and its impact on the vacation habits of Americans. The survey results reveal thought-provoking data that begs various questions about societal workplace trends and vacation behavior.

“Orbitz is dedicated to stay a step ahead on understanding Americans’ travel habits and the roots of those changes,” said Randy Wagner, chief marketing officer, Orbitz Worldwide. “The results of our second annual ‘Take 5 to Travel’ survey are encouraging, as managers actually are encouraging employees to vacation, seeing the benefits in unplugging from the workplace.”

Orbitz’ “Take 5 to Travel” survey seems to show a trend towards more balance between the workplace and the American worker’s desire to use a vacation to actually take time out to relax and rejuvenate. Some key findings from the Orbitz “Take 5 to Travel” survey include:

Are Americans Getting Away and For How Long?

—35% of those surveyed have taken up to five days of vacation in the past year, a 14% increase from last year. In contrast, however, the number of respondents who took 10-15 days of vacation (17%) or more than 15 days of vacation (27%) in the past year each dropped 8% from last year.

—While slightly less than half of Americans (44%) take two weeks of vacation or more each year, two thirds (65%) have taken at least a full week off in the past year.

Is Management Encouraging Time Off?

—When asked if they are encouraged by their bosses to use their vacation time, 60% of those surveyed agreed, down year-over-year by 5%.

—One in four respondents (25%) felt their boss did not encourage them to vacation.

In a world where most hotels, and many local markets and coffee shops, offer free or paid Wi-Fi connection services, it can be easy to stay connected while away from the office. Despite easy accessibility to this technology, the Orbitz survey finds that Americans are in fact getting better at disconnecting on their vacations.

—Nearly one-third (29%) of those surveyed felt compelled to stay connected when away from work, improving by dropping 4% compared to respondents last year. The number of those who do not check email while on vacation also grew by 4% year-over-year to 64%, indicating that in a more easily connected world, people still manage to cut themselves off when on vacation.

—When it comes to staying connected, age seems to play a significant factor in the desire to be wired. Young adults age 18-34 are most likely to report checking in with work/work email at least once a day while on vacation (24% compared to 16% overall) while respondents age 55 and over are much more likely to never check in on vacation (76%).

Who do you vacation with?

—According to the survey results, Americans that get away say they are usually the happiest when traveling with their families, including children. Fifty-one percent of those surveyed prefer traveling with family, followed by traveling with only their significant other (16%).