Americans Are Skipping Summer Vacations to a Focus on Job Search and Work, Says New Monster.com Poll

MAYNARD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With summer in full swing, Monster.com^®, the leading job matching engine and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: MWW), recently polled its U.S. visitors to gauge whether the current economy is affecting vacation plans. With changes in the current job market, Americans are weighing the options of taking vacation and sick time, as well as working extra hours with no additional compensation. During the month of July, Monster’s series of U.S. polls looked at the following questions, producing some surprising results.

“Have you ever felt guilty about taking vacation or a sick day?”

• The "Are you taking a summer vacation this year?" poll found that 70 percent of respondents are so focused on their job search, that they will not take any time off for vacation. Of the other 1160 respondents, only 18 percent are planning a trip, while 12 percent are taking time off, but staying at home, otherwise known as a "staycation."
• A total of 2870 people responded to the July poll that asked, "Have you ever felt guilty about taking vacation or a sick day?" Monster found that nearly 60 percent of respondents do feel guilty about taking a vacation or sick day. Within this group, 39 percent say they feel guilty because they don’t like to "inconvenience others by making them cover my work," while 20 percent fear losing their job. The remaining 41 percent have no guilt about taking vacation or sick days, since they feel it’s "what [these days] are there for."
• And it seems that Americans need a vacation now more than ever before. According to the poll, "Do you get paid for working overtime?" 60 percent of the nearly 3000 respondents are actually putting in extra hours without receiving any additional pay.
• The July Polls also surveyed the preference for time off versus a higher salary. More than half of the 3011 respondents (65 percent) said they’d take a higher salary while 26 percent preferred more days off. Only 3 percent of respondents felt that their current benefits were enough, and the remaining 6 percent are paid for accrued vacation so it doesn’t make a difference to them.

"While it’s surprising to see how many people are not planning any time off this year, either due to guilt or fear of losing their jobs, it’s really interesting when you factor in the extra amount of time Americans are working, without any added compensation," said Jeff Quinn, senior director of research, Monster Worldwide. "With many workers spending additional unpaid time in the office, employers also need to consider quality of life implications, and the subsequent effects on work quality. And as the economy begins to turn around, retention could be a real concern for some employers."

The Monster U.S. Poll is an ongoing series of online polls that gauge users’ opinions on a variety of topics relating to careers, the economy and the workplace. This poll is not scientific and reflects the opinions of only those internet users who have chosen to participate. Polls remain on the web site for one week at a time.

About Monster Worldwide

Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: MWW), parent company of Monster, the premier global online employment solution for more than a decade, strives to inspire people to improve their lives. With a local presence in key markets in North America, Europe, and Asia, Monster works for everyone by connecting employers with quality job seekers at all levels and by providing personalized career advice to consumers globally. Through online media sites and services, Monster delivers vast, highly targeted audiences to advertisers. Monster Worldwide is a member of the S&P 500 index. To learn more about Monster's industry-leading products and services, visit www.monster.com. More information about Monster Worldwide is available at http://www.about-monster.com.