A new Andersen Consulting survey, conducted by Concord, Mass.-based Bowen Marketing Consultants, found that 83 percent of American workers who vacationed for seven or more days since April kept in contact with their office.

More than 300 individuals from 43 states and the District of Columbia participated. They were from households with incomes of $75,000 or more and most (38 percent) identified themselves as professional or managerial. The remaining respondents were supervisors, self-employed, or in administrative or other positions. More than half (52 percent) were female and 48 percent were male. The average age was 45.

According to the survey, which was conducted from Aug. 23 to Aug. 26, 60 percent of workers brought some form of mobile technology with them while on vacation, with cell phones topping the list at 56 percent. Of those who brought a cell phone, 61 percent left the phone number with someone at work. Of those, 39 percent received a work-related call while on vacation.

But cell phones weren't the only technology toys being stuffed into beach bags. Laptops came in second at 16 percent and pagers hit 13 percent. Of those who brought their laptops, 61 percent checked work-related email and, of those, 83 percent responded.

How does this compare to last year? While 25 percent said they spent less time staying in touch with the office, 18 percent spent more time touching base with the colleagues at work. More than half (57 percent) spent the same amount of time as they had on their last vacation, the survey said.

While many workers chose to mix business with pleasure, not everyone was pleased with having to do so.

According the survey, 33 percent were "not thrilled" but "recognize the need to stay in touch." Twenty-five percent said they would "rather stay in touch and keep up with work that return to a backlog," and 25 percent were "grateful that we have the technology to stay in touch." Seven percent said it "felt good to be needed and stay in touch;" however, 10 percent "resented having to stay in touch."

-- By Antoinette Alexander

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