Meeting News - July 21, 2008 - (Page 20)

MN Exclusive Research Finding the Time for Time Off Is a Challenge for Planners Our latest survey ﬁnds that planners get more time off than the U.S. average but have trouble taking advantage of it By Nancy Lazarus lanners’ jobs not only involve a great deal of business travel, they also entitle them to generous vacation beneﬁts. In MeetingNews’ recent survey of 310 meeting professionals, respondents reported an average of 23 annual vacation days, far greater than the national average of 14 days. But their heavy work travel schedules prevent them from taking a lot of vacation time, and they usually check in with the ofﬁce while away on break. The amount of time off is only part of planners’ enviable vacation packages. One-quarter of those surveyed said their vacation time has increased in the past couple years. Two meeting professionals with substantial vacation time are Joel Whitten, meetings and events manager for the Subway sandwich chain in Milford, CT, and Christine Dahlgren, associate director of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board. Both Whitten and Dahlgren have 25 paid days off annually, including vacation and personal days, marking an increase of ﬁve days since they reached their ﬁve-year work anniversaries. Flexible time-off policies are also the norm for planners. Two-thirds of those surveyed noted that P Bankers’ Hours Which, if any, of the following does your current employer allow? Carry vacation time over from one year into beginning of following year Take comp days for business trips taken during weekends Purchase extra vacation time 7.4% 0.0% 4.4% 6.5% 14.7% None of the above 13.9% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% Corporate Planners Association Planners 64.7% 71.3% 35.3% 56.5% I work independently Source: MeetingNews survey of 309 meeting planners they are allowed to carry over vacation time into the beginning of the following year, including Whitten, who usually holds over five days due to his work When you travel for work on fam trips or site schedule. Furthermore, over half of association inspections, how often do you add on leisure planners and one-third of corporate planners can vacation days? take comp days for business trips that occur on Occasionally weekends. Ericka Katz, director of programs for the Software Association of Oregon, in Portland, said, 44.8% “Every time I have an event on a weekend, I can take a comp day within the following 30 days.” To be sure, planners earn every day of their leisure time, as they spend nearly 30 percent of their work life on the road performing their jobs. Beth Becker, Never global meeting services manager for MicroTek in 33.7% Sometimes Downers Grove, IL, travels one-third of the time. 15.2% Planners tend to keep business and pleasure trips Frequently separate, however, as those surveyed reported only 5.6% occasional instances of adding on leisure days to their fam trips or site inspections. Becker recalled the last trip she managed to add personal time off was 0.7% the MPI education conference in Houston, staying Always three extra days to visit Galveston, TX. Meeting professionals were divided as to whether Source: MeetingNews survey of 270 meeting planners they access work messages while away on vacation. Becker confessed a “love/hate relationship with my ofﬁce’s slowest period.” The U.S. is the most popular leisure destination BlackBerry.” Whitten pointed out that he always stays in touch with his ofﬁce because “it prevents a for these planners. Nearly three-quarters of those lot more work when I return.” Dahlgren, however, surveyed prefer to spend their vacation time on resists the temptation to stay connected. “I try not to domestic trips, while less than one-ﬁfth prefer intercheck in and plan for that while I’m away except national trips. Another 13 percent like staying at under special circumstances.” home to relax, instead of going away. Becker recentBut, in many respects, planners’ vacation patterns ly enjoyed a “staycation” in June, when she prepared reflect those of Americans overall. One-third of the house, pool, and yard for summer entertaining. those surveyed do not intend to take all of their During their longest vacations this year, planMN allotted vacation days this year, similar to other Exclusive ners are visiting different regions of the U.S., Research U.S. workers. Dahlgren explained, “Nothing especially the East and West coasts. Whitten will concrete prevents me from taking the days; it just vacation in Florida, while Katz will travel to the usually turns out that the end of the year comes Bay Area in California to visit her family. Not surprisingly, few are venturing abroad, well before I have used them all due to a busy schedule.” Meeting professionals’ leisure trips average only aware of the high costs for American visitors. As ﬁve days, also mirroring national vacation trends Dahlgren observed,“I would love to go overseas, but toward shorter periods of time off. Katz noted that because of the weak dollar it’s unlikely it will hapshe takes her vacation time in “two- to four-day pen this year. My next international trip will be increments throughout the year.” Furthermore, determined by the exchange rate, plane ticket prices, planners tend to favor the summer months for their and my budget, when my other vacations are longest trips—again typical of the traveling public. planned.” r Contact Nancy Lazarus at Whitten said his longest trip is in “late summer or nancy.lazarus@nielsen.com Christmas/New Year holiday season since it is my Before and After 20 MeetingNews July 21, 2008 www.meetingnews.com http://www.mimegasite.com/mimegasite/research/meeting_news_research.jsp http://www.mimegasite.com/mimegasite/research/meeting_news_research.jsp http://www.mimegasite.com/mimegasite/research/meeting_news_research.jsp http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - July 21, 2008

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