Last summer I had the privilege of being interviewed by the NBC Nightly News as their Productivity Expert, dealing with the topic of vacation deprivation in the United States. The question was why we take fewer vacations days on average than other countries.

Have we improved since last year? With the economy in flux right now, it seems that workers are being asked to do even more. The vacation tendency leans towards a few long weekends or no more than one week off. The percentage planning on taking a break this year has actually dropped to 33% from 40%, according to Access America, a travel insurance provider.

Yet there are positive results from taking time off.

• Frequency of annual vacations is tied in with a reduced rate of death for men with a high risk for heart disease (Psychosomatic Medicine, 2000)
• In women ages 25-75, failing to take a vacation at least once each year leads to psychological health risks (Wisconsin Medical Journal, 2005).

In the above case, of the women studied, 34% took a vacation once a year, 23% twice a year, 23% every 2-5 years, and 19% every 6 years or less. The risk of depression increased as vacation breaks decreased, according to Cathy McCarty at the Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin.

We fail to take earned vacations, and the United States spends 16% of its gross domestic product for health care issues. Yet other countries score better in terms of mortality, illness, and obesity.

What keeps us from taking time off? Last year several of my readers provided their explanations:

• Inability to use compensation time
• Increasing demands
• Technology intrusions
• The need to stay current
• Other reasons

We may not be taking vacations but the time is offered. In 2007, there were 84% of employers offering paid time, with 63% rolling sick, vacation, and personal days into one package (survey from Society for Human Resource Management, Alexandria, VA).

How do YOU plan to take a break this year?