Time off frequently isn’t

When you are on vacation, you are supposed to be taking time off the job, but that is often not what happens.

Software company Qualtrics surveyed adult full-time workers and found that at least 49 percent work for a minimum of an hour a day on vacation and 24 percent work for at least three hours.

In fact, 26 percent of workers didn't use at least a week or more of their vacation time. Workers cited three main reasons for this:

* They didn't want to fall behind.

* They didn't want to let down their team.

* Pressure from co-workers.

About 27 percent used all their vacation time, but the same percentage didn't feel refreshed after vacation.

"If companies are serious about the well-being of their people, they must evaluate existing norms around time off and encourage employees to completely disconnect during their allotted vacation days without guilt," according to a press release quoting Benjamin Granger, head of employee experience at Qualtrics. "This is not only healthy for people, but essential for ensuring long-term productivity and retention."