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RALEIGH, N.C. ― Americans unknowingly forfeit a chunk of their pay by not taking the vacations they’ve earned. Visit North Carolina wants workers to know how much they’re losing and to act during National Plan for Vacation Day on Tuesday, Jan. 30.

A five-question quiz devised by Visit NC helps workers gauge their losses and offers a chance to win back the amount on a Visa gift card. Those who take the quiz also will receive inspiration from Visit NC to help them plan 2018 vacations instead of leaving time-off compensation on the table.

Powered by Project: Time Off, a research initiative funded by the U.S. Travel Association, National Plan for Vacation Day encourages workers to commit time off to the calendar and explore ways to spend it, said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit NC.

“We can list three reasons why this matters,” Tuttell said. “Research shows we’re healthier and less stressed when we take vacations and disconnect from work. Employers benefit, too, because time off improves productivity. And if you take a weekend leisure trip or an extended vacation in North Carolina, you contribute to the state’s economy.”

Project: Time Off research shows that fewer than half of Americans plan vacations in advance, resulting in 54 percent leaving unused vacation days behind in 2016. Collectively, it amounts to 662 million vacation days gone to waste.

North Carolina fares slightly better than the national average, with 50 percent of the workforce leaving a total of 16.6 million vacation days unused in 2016. The loss in potential spending is $2.4 billion.

“Putting plans in place on Jan. 30 gives us time to build a budget for the trip,” Tuttell said. “By the time vacation rolls around, we’ll be past the point of thinking about the trip as a luxury of time and money. We’ll simply see it as priceless.”

To take the quiz and find out how much you’re paying your boss, go to here.

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CONTACT:

Eleanor Talley
919-447-7783
eleanor.talley@VisitNC.com 

Stacey McCray
704-552-6565
mccray@lgaadv.com