Rest for the Weary

Now this is a cause I think all of us should get behind. The good folks at Right2Vacation.org are giving us even more reasons as to why taking a break from work (a paid break mind you) is important. Here's a few facts for this Friday:

• 52% of workers took less than a week off, 65% of workers took less than 2 weeks off, and 78% of workers took less than 3 weeks off.
  
• The U.S. is the only industrialized nation without a minimum annual leave statute.
  
• 25% of Americans receive no paid vacation leave. Only 69% of lower-wage workers get any paid vacation leave.
  
• Men who don't take regular vacations are 32% more likely to die of heart attacks, and 21% more likely to die early of all causes. Women have 50% more risk of heart attack.
  
• Every European worker gets at least four weeks of paid vacation by law. Yet the Euro is rising while the dollar is falling.
  
• Stress and burnout at work cost the US economy over $300 billion a year.
  

Now how exactly we go about changing our corporate culture to allow this sort of thing I admittedly have no idea. But I sure do enjoy thinking about four weeks of vacation a year . . .