Vacation Obligation: Americans Not Using - and Losing - Allotted Vacation Days

Research Shows Americans Forfeit More Vacation Days; Hyatt Resorts Teams Up With Workplace Expert to Offer Tips on Prioritizing Well-Deserved Breaks

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--It's no surprise that most Americans are so wrapped up in their work lives they don't take all of the vacation time they are entitled. According to surveys conducted by CareerBuilder.com and Hudson, U.S. employees are taking less time off than ever: not only is the average number of annual vacation days granted to them a mere 12 days a year, but more than a third of Americans do not even use all of their granted time off.

ADVERTISEMENT

To help Americans use those vacation days, Hyatt Resorts has teamed up with Julie Morgenstern, organization and time management expert and New York Times best-selling author. Morgenstern has developed tips, provided below, for organizing and balancing time in the workplace in order to take all vacation days allotted - as well as maximizing time off. Hyatt Resorts helps to make the most of this time through its Sunshine On Sale promotion, which offers a free night and, for those paying with any American Express® Card, a $50 Hyatt resort credit for stays completed by December 19, 2007.

"Overwhelming workloads and increased job competition lead many to believe sacrificing time off is the key to job survival. The opposite is true: peak performers take regular and well-planned breaks to make sure they recharge and renew. This fuels them to keep producing at work," said Julie Morgenstern. "Hyatt Resorts definitely understands the importance of taking vacation days before they run out. I'm pleased to share tips on how to be more organized about your time off in order take those days that would otherwise go to waste."

Morgenstern's key tips include:

1. Create an "exit plan." Minimize the stress that tends to arise during your last days in the office by creating a to-do list the week before you depart for your vacation. Include things like status of current projects and reminders to colleagues that you will be out of the office.

2. Multi-taskers beware. Scattering your efforts slows you down and makes you less effective. Tackle your to-dos sequentially to get more done in less time.

3. Master delegation. Share your workload with others to free your time and allow others to make a contribution. Before you depart for vacation, make sure you meet with your colleagues to discuss to-dos as well as share your (only-in-dire-emergency) contact information. A solid team also helps you feel "covered" while you are away, so you can really be away.

4. Vacation in short bites. Schedule 4 to 5 long weekends, 4 days each throughout the year instead of 1 to 2 solid weeks off. Give yourself these quarterly treats to refresh your spirit without breaking your momentum or fueling your guilt.

5. Dig up a deal. A good excuse to book a vacation is when there is a deal available. When you have the time to book your vacation, look for a deal that will allow you to easily extend your stay. Hyatt Resorts, for example, offers a "Sunshine on Sale" promotion that offers a free night based on a minimum length of stay. Visit HyattFall.com for more information.

"We feel that these expert tips, along with the free night and resort credit rewards being offered by Hyatt Resorts, will encourage people to use up those vacation days," said Scott Seed, director of resort marketing, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. "We want people to know that Hyatt Resorts takes this 'vacation obligation' seriously and is trying to help people make the most of their time."

Take advantage of the extended stay by participating in unique destination-specific activities at Hyatt Resorts. For the spa seeker, Spa Avania at Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch will offer an Autumn Journey from October 15, 2007 to November 22, 2007 featuring a rice body scrub and scalp treatment, aromasoul massage, skin resonance facial, shampoo and style as well as a pedicure. For the avid golfer, Hyatt offers world-class accommodations, unparalleled facilities, and golf courses designed by famed course architects including George Fazio, Arthur Hills and Jack Nicklaus. Fishing enthusiasts will enjoy a private chartered fishing trip at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort, Spa and Marina where they can learn how to fish like Chesapeake watermen from local experts.

Visit HyattFall.com for more information on Sunshine on Sale and specific property offerings. Details on the free night stay are as follows:

Third night free:

* Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa, San Antonio, TX
* Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa, Vail Valley, CO
* Hyatt Grand Champions Resort and Spa, Indian Wells, CA
* Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort, Spa and Marina, Cambridge, MD

Fourth night free:

* Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa, Bonita Springs, FL
* Hyatt Key West Resort, Spa and Marina, Key West, FL
* Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort, Orlando, FL
* Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six Resort and Spa, Fort Lauderdale, FL
* Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort & Spa, Honolulu, HI
* Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch, Scottsdale, AZ
* Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa, Santa Ana Pueblo, NM
* Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa, Lost Pines, TX
* Hyatt Regency Grand Cayman Beach Suites, Grand Cayman, West Indies
* Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa, Huntington Beach, CA

Fifth night free:

* Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort, Spa and Casino, Palm Beach, Aruba, Dutch Caribbean
* Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa, Koloa, HI
* Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino, Incline Village, NV

Sixth night free:
# Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, Lahaini, HI

About Global Hyatt Corporation

Global Hyatt Corporation, one of the world's premier hotel companies, offers today's travelers over 735 hotels and resorts (over 136,000 rooms) in more than 44 countries. The company's affiliates own, operate, manage and franchise Hyatt branded hotels and resorts under the Park Hyatt®, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt Resorts®, Hyatt®, Hyatt Place(TM) and Hyatt Summerfield Suites® brands. Global Hyatt Corporation is also the owner of Hyatt Vacation Ownership, Inc. operator of the Hyatt Vacation Club and fractional residential properties and U.S. Franchise Systems, Inc., which franchises Hawthorn Suites and Microtel Inns and Suites.

From the U.S. and Canada, reservations for any Hyatt hotel worldwide may be obtained by calling 1-800-233-1234 or logging onto www.hyatt.com


scrub scrub uniforms scrub pants body scrub sugar scrub scrub sets face scrub facial scrub scrub top scrub hats salt scrub scrub jay soft scrub scrub uniform scrub jackets scrub a dub medical scrub sea salt scrub scrub brush surgical scrub foot scrub apricot scrub scrub tech no scrub scrub nurse scrub lyrics sugar scrub recipe cyber scrub scrub stores lip scrub scrub cap reg scrub scrub oak nursing scrub scrub jacket scrub hat scrub club dickies scrub sugar body scrub hand scrub st ives apricot scrub salt scrub recipe no scrub lyrics never scrub florida scrub jay scrub typhus scrub the web body scrub recipe exfoliating scrub desert scrub scrub shop dead sea salt scrub homemade sugar scrub bubba scrub homemade body scrub scrub store scrub python scrub suits scrub xp the scrub body scrub recipes florida scrub scrub set sugar scrub recipes tall scrub pants scrub in cherokee scrub big scrub scrub brushes scrub board scrub jays betadine scrub scrub sink salt scrub recipes reg scrub xp scrub the ground scrub turkey soft scrub commercial christmas scrub scrub forest back scrub scrub dresses disk scrub scrub suit scrub shops scrub a dub car wash bath scrub lid scrub cheap scrub scrub technician scrub shirts scrub plane i dont want no scrub scrub med salt body scrub surgical scrub hats scrub a pup homemade facial scrub shower scrub sea salt body scrub the lip scrub dickies scrub pants coffee scrub scrub quotes scrub boards