The Miller's are in Mystic, CT...and guess what? We weren't on vacation and it wasn't a weekend. My husband took the day off work last week (that's him with the really big amount of hair), didn't send the kids to camp, and decided he needed a break! In a Salary.com survey, 39% of workers said they would choose time off over the equivalent in additional base salary. Of course, most of the respondents are still opting for the bigger paycheck but the desire for time off is up almost 20% from the last poll!

Younger workers are more likely to be "family-centric" or "dual-centric" rather than "work-centric" when compared to members of the Boomer generation. The impact of September 11th is evident. We are reevaluating life priorities and realizing it is necessary to take the time to spend with your family. Things can change in an instant, as many unfortunately found out, and what is the sense of putting in those 10-14 hour work days when you can come home and spend time with your kids.

Monetary needs are also less intense due to dual income households. The sole responsibility does not have to rest on one person's shoulders. Of course these numbers are not major however, employers are anticipating not only the change in people's thinking about work but how it will affect their building a high-retention workplace. In the past few years, human resources experts say that time off has consistently placed among the top three employee concerns (along with compensation & staffing levels).

So, when Mr. Miller went in and said he was taking the day off, it's a good thing no one stood in his way....he was a much happier person at work the next day and maybe more productive??? By the way, if you haven't been to Mystic...take the drive....it was only 2.5 hours from Queens, and we only heard "Are we there yet" maybe 6 or 7 times!