Working all year without a vacation is like driving a car for 12 months without stopping to change the oil. You might keep running, but you're probably heading for a breakdown.

"Vacations are an easy way to recharge the batteries and regroup for the next challenge," says Judy Meleliat, senior vice president for Xylo, a Web-based work-life solutions provider that's now part of Workstream.

We know vacations reduce stress, but a Monster poll found that one-third of respondents have 10 or fewer days of vacation a year.

Be Aware of Your Benefits

Vacation time may not be at the top of your list of items to ask about when job hunting, but it's important to consider how corporate culture and job function might influence your vacation time.

"For those employees in seasonal industries, there are sometimes only certain windows during the year when employees usually take time off," Meleliat points out. "Employees who work for other industries with continual workflow throughout the year sometimes take shorter and more frequent vacations." If you're doing a project-based job, you may have to time your vacations to coincide with the end of a project rather than a date on your kids' school calendar.

While many job seekers are reluctant to bring up vacation time during salary negotiations, some younger workers don't hesitate to negotiate for extra time off, says Anne Pasley-Stuart, president of Pasley-Stuart Consulting, a Boise, Idaho, human resources firm. In fact, many workers from Generations X and Y will negotiate additional weeks of vacation for slightly lower salary. "Time off is a very important thing to them," explains Pasley-Stuart. "They expect it, they'll take it, and they don't care if that offends their boss."

Before You Go

If you want to make sure your career ship sails smoothly while you're on vacation, batten down the hatches before you go. "A thoughtful employee thinks through all aspects of the job before leaving," Meleliat says. "Consider possible situations and make sure a game plan is in place to deal with any complications. Fellow team members should know about the upcoming vacation well in advance." Appoint temporary project leads to ensure work continues.

Are You Really Gone?

You should obviously leave an emergency contact phone number with your boss, but how do you make sure coworkers don't call you indiscriminately? And what if your boss asks you to wear your beeper in Bermuda? It's up to you to set the rules, Pasley-Stuart says. "Establish what your boundaries are, and if your employer is not willing to work within those boundaries, I would suggest you not work there," she says.

Should you check voice mail and email? "As a person who used to bring a computer on vacations to check email, I can answer this question with an emphatic no,"Meleliat says. "The vacation should truly be a break from one's work." If your boss insists you check in, set limits. You might start by agreeing to check your voice mail once during the week and to respond only if there's something urgent.

On the other hand, if you think you're so irreplaceable that a project or your company can't survive without you, you probably suffer from an overinflated view of your importance. Think of your vacation as an opportunity for shared learning and cross-training on critical projects. On the flip side, if there's a project you've always wanted to work on, offering to cover for a vacationing coworker can be a great way to demonstrate your abilities.

And if you're faced with the prospect of working for a boss who says there's to be no vacation at all, perhaps you need to search for a more vacation-friendly workplace.