Do Employees Need a Vacation from Their Vacation?

New Randstad Work Watch Survey Takes A Look At Today`s Vacation Realities
ATLANTA--(Business Wire)--
Ask almost anyone working these days and they`ll tell you that the current
economic conditions have, at one time or another, been the cause of a little bit
of stress in the workplace - it`s no longer the elephant at the water cooler.
But a new Randstad Work Watch survey of full-time employed adults reveals an
unexpected, perhaps surprising, cause of employee stress - taking time off for a
vacation.

It`s not going on vacation, it`s coming back

When asked what they found difficult about taking time off from work for
vacation, 77 percent of those who find something difficult about taking
vacations stated it was the first day back in the office after vacation. An even
higher number of Generation X and Mature employees agreed with this sentiment.
The last day in the office before vacation was selected as the next most
difficult thing. Interestingly, Generation Y employees, more so than any other,
seem to find it hard to relinquish their responsibilities.

% Who Think Something Is Difficult About Taking Time Off For Vacation Total Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Male Female
18-34 35-44 45-54 55+
First day back in the office after vacation 77 74 84 70 84 74 80
The last day in the office before vacation 44 44 46 43 43 41 47
Giving up control of my projects/work/responsibilities 30 35 32 28 19 31 30

A big part of preparing for time out of the office revolves around making sure
an employee`s roles and responsibilities are being managed while he or she is
out of the office on vacation. The Randstad survey disclosed that 43 percent of
full time employees who have a boss and/or co-workers find preparing them to be
stressful; this jumps to 55 percent for Generation Y employees. Perhaps coming
as no surprise, neither Boomers (64 percent) nor Matures (74 percent) find it
stressful to prepare a boss and/or co-workers for their time out of the office.

How a boss and/or co-worker are prepared revealed some interesting results.
While respondents overall seemed to prefer face-to-face meetings and providing a
contact number (55 percent each) over sending an email updating the status of
projects (43 percent), this trend varied by workforce generation.

% Who Prepare A Boss and/or Co-Workers For Vacation Total Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Male Female
18-34 35-44 45-54 55+
Held face-to-face meeting to review projects, answer questions 55 62 53 54 47 60 49
Provided a contact number where I could be reached 55 53 57 50 64 54 57
Sent an email providing a status update on work 43 54 46 36 28 45 40

So what can be done to alleviate some of the stress - millions of emails, a desk
piled high with reports and paperwork and a full voicemail inbox - that comes
with the first day back in the office from vacation? "It`s really a matter of
organization and priority setting," stated Eric Buntin, managing directorfor
Randstad US. "Many of today`s employees may very well have more on their plates
than ever before, but the pressure to pick up right where you left off before
vacation is more times than not self-imposed. Unless you have a mandatory
deliverable or immovable deadline, your first day back in the office can be
quite productive if you use your time wisely."

Buntinsuggests the following tips for making your first day back from vacation
productive and stress free:

* Get a Head Start - go through your email inbox the day before you return to
the office. After deleting the junk mail, scan for emails addressed to you from
your boss and clients, assigning priority for follow-up upon your return to the
office. This will create a more focused environment once you arrive to work the
next morning.
* Ask for a Status Update - if you work on a team or have staff that reports
into you, ask someone to send you an email updating you on your projects. By
doing this before you get into the office, you`ll have a head-start on your
first-day priorities.
* Be an Early Bird - arrive before normal office hours to ensure you get some
quiet time to prioritize your to-do list and review and return voicemail
messages. Once co-workers begin arriving, chances are you`re more likely to
engage in conversation and be met with distractions.
* Take Your Boss To Lunch - taking your boss to lunch on your first day back
gives you time to catch up on projects and discuss important matters in a
one-on-one atmosphere.
* Gas Up -be sure your car has a full tank of gas so you don`t have the added
stress of stopping at the gas station on your way into work which can sometimes
alter your morning routine.

Additional interesting Randstad Work Watch survey findings include:

* Fifty-three percent of those surveyed say they have made vacation plans during
work hours; this jumps to 61 percent for Generation Y employees
* Women (59 percent) are more likely than men (49 percent) to make vacation
plans at work
* Fourteen percent of Generation Y employees said that finding out their absence
was not missed was a difficult part of taking time off for vacation
* An overwhelming 70 percent of full-time employees surveyed stated they are out
of "work mode" as soon as they leave the office for vacation
* Twenty-two percent of Generation X full-time employees say they are never
fully in vacation mode

For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact
Holly Richmond at holly.richmond@mslworldwide.com or 404.877.5533

Abbreviated Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive
on behalf of Randstad from May 11 to May 13, 2009 among 2,065 adults ages 18 and
older, of whom 842 are full time employed adults who ever take vacations from
work. Results were weighted as needed to reflect the composition of the U.S.
population of adults ages 18+ using targets for region, age within gender,
education, household income, race/ethnicity, and propensity to be online. This
online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of
theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

About Randstad US

Randstad US is a wholly owned subsidiary of Randstad Holding nv, a $24 billion
global provider of professional employment services and the second largest
staffing organization in the world. Randstad fulfills all aspects of commercial
and professional staffing for local and global customers. Services include
temporary, permanent, and outsourced placement within Accounting & Finance,
Engineering, Healthcare, Industrial, IT, Legal, Life Sciences, and Office. Other
offerings include payrolling, managed services, recruitment process outsourcing
and HR consulting solutions. Randstad provides skills assessments, career
counseling, training, health coverage, paid vacation and 401(k) matching
contributions to eligible internal and external employees. With its 3,300
employment experts, Randstad puts an average of 50,000 people to work in the
U.S. each week through its network of more than 600 branches and
client-dedicated locations. More information is available at the company`s Web
site, www.us.randstad.com.

Investment information is available at www.randstad.com.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is one of the largest and fastest-growing market research
firms in the world. The company provides innovative research, insights and
strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions. More
information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at
www.harrisinteractive.com.

For Randstad US
Holly Richmond, 404-877-5533
holly.richmond@mslworldwide.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009