SAUSALITO, CA--(Marketwire - Jul 1, 2011) - With summer vacations in full swing ahead of the busiest travel weekend of the season, employees (including those self employed) reveal they may change or cancel travel plans if the recent volatility in the economy continues. According to a new survey conducted online in June 2011 by Harris Interactive on behalf of jobs and career community Glassdoor1, 45 percent of employees and those self employed2 who have/plan to take a vacation would reduce or cancel their plans to save money if the economy continues its volatility.
The survey also found:
- Younger Workers More Likely to Pull the Plug. More than half (52 percent) of full time/part time/self employed adults 18-34 would change their vacation plans if the economy continues its volatility, as would 44 percent of employees ages 35-44 and 42 percent of ages 45-54. Older workers are less likely to do so -- just over one-third (36 percent) of employees ages 55+ would change or cancel their trip.
- Southerners and Westerners More Likely to Cancel Plans. People in the West and South are also more apt to change or cancel plans given the economy -- more than half (53 percent) of employees in both regions noted they would alter their vacation compared to 38 percent in the Midwest and just one-third (34 percent) in the Northeast.
Work Expectations While On Vacation
For those who do manage to get away, there may be an expectation to work during vacation -- roughly one in eight (13 percent) of employees3 (excluding those self employed) who have taken/plan to take a vacation this summer reported they are expected to work while away. Nearly one in five (18 percent) noted they are not expected to work, but they must be available should an emergency arise, even while on vacation. However, the majority can forget it all for a short time: two-thirds of employees (65 percent) who have taken/plan to take a vacation this summer report they are able to check out from their jobs completely.
- Employees in South and West Expected to Work More on Vacation. More employees who have taken/plan to take a vacation this summer in the South (18 percent) and West (17 percent) noted they were expected to work during vacation, as compared to employees in the Midwest (8 percent) or Northeast (7 percent).
- More Men Expected to Work Than Women. More men who have taken/plan to take a vacation this summer (17 percent) report that they are expected to work while on vacation than women (8 percent).
"The uncertainty in the market continues to weigh on employee confidence, so it's no surprise that the recent volatility might impact summer travel plans," said Robert Hohman, co-founder and CEO of Glassdoor. "Vacation time is important to both employees and their company, and it's reassuring to see the majority of employees feel their employer supports their ability to 'check out' and recharge. Employees who feel tethered to their job while away miss the intended vacation benefits, and U.S. companies should try to be more respectful of this time."
NOTE TO EDITORS: On Wednesday, July 6, 2011, Glassdoor will release its Q2 Employment Confidence Survey that reveals employee sentiment on job security, pay raises, company outlook and job market and is a leading indicator of consumer confidence. For an advance copy of the Employment Confidence Survey or for more information or full results of the summer travel survey, please contact pr [at] glassdoor [dot] com.
Methodology
1) This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Glassdoor from June 21-23, 2011 among 2,203 adults ages 18 and older of whom 1,232 are employed full time, part time and/or are self employed, 1,103 are employed full time and/or part time and 172 are unemployed but looking. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For the purposes of this study "employees" were defined as U.S., adults 18+ employed full time and/or part time unless otherwise indicated. For complete survey methodology including weighting variables, please contact pr [at] glassdoor [dot] com.
2) Among those employed full time/part time/self-employed, 67 percent plan to take a vacation this summer.
3) Employed full time/part time.
About Glassdoor
Glassdoor is a free and anonymous jobs and career community offering an inside look at companies and access to millions of job listings. Glassdoor helps employees, job seekers, employers and recruiters find and share detailed information about more than 120,000 companies, such as Facebook, Accenture, AT&T, Oracle, Starbucks and UPS. This proprietary user-generated content includes salary data, company reviews, interview questions and reviews, office photos and CEO approval ratings. Glassdoor was founded in 2007 and launched its website in 2008. Headquartered in Sausalito, Calif. Glassdoor has raised $22.2 million from its founders, Benchmark Capital, Sutter Hill Ventures and Battery Ventures. More information about Glassdoor can be found on its blog, Facebook, and on Twitter.
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