The rat race: 34% of Americans don't use up vacation days

I need a vacation! But apparently not everyone feels that way. A recent poll by Expedia.com found that 34% of Americans don't use all of their vacation days each year. When they do take time off from the job, 24% still check their work email or voicemail. Furthermore, 30% of workers experience work-related stress during vacations.

Expedia's annual vacation deprivation survey shows that some of the reasons people don't use up their vacation time include a spouse not being able to get away from their job, receiving money in exchange for unused vacation days and having to schedule time off in advance. Of people polled, 19% said they had canceled or postponed their plans to vacation because of their job.

The poll also found some differences in how men and women deal with time away from the job. About 40% of women said they feel guilty when taking time off, compared with 29% of men. Also, men (12%) were more likely to take two full weeks off from the job, compared with only 8% of women.