Canadians think about work, even on vacation. Indeed, 62% of Canadians confess to checking their work e-mails and voicemail regularly or from time to time while on vacation, according to an Expedia.ca survey.
People from British Columbia have the hardest time letting go, with 68% of respondents staying in touch with the office while on vacation. Quebecers ranked last, at 58%.
More Canadians are taking all or almost all their vacation days, however; this year, they plan to take 15 of their 16 days, vs. the 11 they took last year. Last year, 26% of respondents said they lacked the means to take more vacation, and 14% lacked time. Other reasons included not wanting to be thought of badly by their boss, and not being sufficiently encouraged by management to take time off. 38% of Canadians either cancelled or postponed their vacation because of work.
Canadians are not the worst performers in this regard—workers in India, Italy, France and Japan are even more likely to stay in touch while on vacation, with 89%, 88%, 87% and 87% respectively of respondents phoning or e-mailing the office regularly.