Vacations: To unplug? Or just keep plugging?

We all need it. We all know we need it. And every year it seems fewer of us do it. Take vacations, that is.

Only 59 percent of 626 small-business owners polled nationwide said they plan to take at least one week off this year, according to an American Express Small Business Monitor reported in Inc. That's down from an average of 67 percent over the last four years.

And when many go, it's hardly a real getaway. Three-quarters of bosses admitted they'll be checking in at work at least once a day, while 32 percent confessed they'll check in several times a day. Owners worry:

• Service will deteriorate
  
• Employees will make stupid mistakes and poor judgment calls
  
• Employees will just slack off and nothing will get done.
  

Employees, too, shun vacations so they can keep their noses to the grindstone. Even though many say they're burned out, nearly half didn't take all of the vacation days they were entitled to last year, according to a survey conducted by Yahoo Hot Jobs. Top reasons:

• Too much work to do (36 percent),
  
• Too expensive (34 percent)
  
• Saving vacation time for emergencies (32 percent).

What's up with this? Are we addicted to work (or perhaps the goodies that money buys)? Is it ego? You know: "I'm far too important to leave. This whole place would collapse if I weren't there holding it all together!"

Europeans, who routinely get 5-6 weeks holiday per year, seem to have a very different attitude toward work. They laugh at us and think it's foolish to pass up any vacation time.

What about you? What's your attitude toward work? Vacation?