More than half of American workers do not use all of their vacation time, according to a new survey, and more than a third of those who do take time off regularly check in with their office while they’re away.  A spokesperson for StudyLogic, the company that conducted the research, believes the high unemployment rate has made workers hesitant to take time away from the office.  Through August, more than one-fifth of workers had not taken any time off.

I strongly hope that the uncation is not a lasting legacy of the recession.  I also believe that progressive companies are those that strongly encourage their workers to take their vacation days.  I haven’t seen any research on the topic, but I assume that approach fosters greater employee loyalty and higher productivity.  What do you think?