Workers: Most rather have a root canal than work on vacation

MALVERN, Pa., June 26 (UPI) -- Half of U.S. adults who have taken a vacation say they would rather get a root canal than work on vacation, but most bosses expect it, a survey indicates.

A survey commissioned by Ricoh Americas Corp. and conducted online by Harris Interactive April 29-May 1 among 2,071 U.S. adults -- 1,047 were employed and 954 were employed and have taken a vacation -- found 67 percent of Americans who have taken a vacation said their families resented it if they worked while on vacation.

Three-quarters said if they had to take care of a small document revision their employer did not make it easy to access work-related documents.

"Hold on, it seems employees are actually working harder when they're on vacation than when they're in the office," Terrie Campbell, vice president of strategic marketing at Ricoh Americas Corp., said in a statement. "This means both employers and employees end up paying the price of working vacations, and it doesn't have to be this way. It shouldn't be this way."

However, 67 percent said checking email eased the return to work, the survey said.

"Workers absolutely must have a chance to recharge for themselves, their families and their career," Campbell said. "Employers ignore this need at their peril."

No margin of error was provided.