Lines between Personal, Work Life Continue to Blur
June 14, 2007. These days, a client in a luxury vacation rental could be on a business trip or on vacation, or both. Two separate stories in the news this week discussed people who did work on their vacations and people who brought their children on business trips.
An Associated Press-Ipsos poll released last week found that one in five of those surveyed did some work while vacationing. The respondents cited various reasons: they worried about missing important information, they were expected to be available or they just enjoyed staying connected.
The survey found:
* 80 percent of respondents brought their cell phone with them.
* 50 percent checked their office voicemail
* About 20 percent brought laptop computers.
* 40 percent checked their email.
The younger people were, the more likely they were to stay connected, according to the poll.
Another story focused on a trend toward bringing children on business trips, citing data from the National Business Travel Association. According to that group, "62 percent of U.S. business travelers said they add a leisure component to at least one business trip per year. Among those travelers, two-thirds say they bring a family member or friend with them."
Several factors are driving that trend:
* The growing number of single parents.
* Women in executive ranks.
* Two-income families.
* People having children later in life.
* Employees searching for ways to stretch their dollars.
