Along with flip flops and suntan lotion, U.S. workers are packing laptops, cell phones and pagers in their suitcases this year. Thirty-three percent of workers say they will be checking in with the office while on vacation, according to CareerBuilder.com's annual survey. Twenty-two percent of workers say their bosses expect them to stay in touch, up from 16 percent in 2004. The CareerBuilder.com survey, "Vacation 2005," was conducted from February 24, 2005 to March 5, 2005 and included more than 1,700 workers.

One-half of workers report they feel a great deal of stress on the job, often leading to burnout. Although nearly four-in-ten workers say they need at least three to five days to feel refreshed and ready to return to the office, 17 percent say they are taking a vacation of 2 days or less or no vacation at all -- similar to last year's findings.

While time away from the office is an effective way to relieve tension and recharge for the tasks ahead, 35 percent of workers say they feel still stressed about work even when they are on vacation.

"Technology has created an e-leash of sorts where workers can be reached anytime anywhere," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com. "One-in-ten workers report they check in with the office while on vacation at least once a day. This defeats the whole purpose of getting away and spending quality time with family and friends."

Twenty-one percent of workers say working while on vacation causes issues with their family and friends. Haefner offers the following tips to make the most of your time off and leave the office at home:

   -- Start early.  Give plenty of notice for vacation dates.
   -- Schedule vacations before large projects begin or after they are
      completed.
   -- If required, cross-train other workers to help out in your absence.
   -- Alert co-workers to your absence by giving an alternative contact via
      voicemail or automated response on email.  If people know you are not
      checking in for a week or two, they are inclined to seek help from
      someone else while you are gone.
   -- If your job is mission-critical, leave a number for emergency use
      only.
   -- Set an example:  supervisors should lead the way by taking scheduled
      vacations without workplace interruptions.


  Survey Methodology

The CareerBuilder.com survey, "Vacation 2005," was conducted from February 24, 2005 to March 3, 2005. Methodology used to collect survey responses totaling more than 1,700 workers for this study involved selecting a random sample of comScore Networks panel members. These Web Panel members were approached via an e-mail invitation, which asked them to participate in a short online survey. The results of this survey are statistically accurate to within +/- 2.36 percentage points (19 times out of 20).

About CareerBuilder.com

CareerBuilder.com is the nation's largest online job network with more than 20 million unique visitors and over 600,000 jobs. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. , Tribune Company , and Knight Ridder, Inc. , the company offers a vast online and print network to help job seekers connect with employers. CareerBuilder.com powers the career centers for more than 550 partners that reach national, local, industry and niche audiences. These include more than 130 newspapers and leading portals such as America Online and MSN. More than 30,000 of the nation's top employers take advantage of CareerBuilder.com's easy job postings, 11 million-plus resumes, Diversity Channel and more. Millions of job seekers visit the site every month to search for opportunities by industry, location, company and job type, sign up for automatic email job alerts, and get advice on job hunting and career management. For more information about CareerBuilder.com products and services, visit http://www.careerbuilder.com/ .

  Media Contact:

  Jennifer Sullivan
  (773) 527-1164
  jennifer.sullivan@careerbuilder.com

SOURCE: CareerBuilder.com