According to Expedia's 2013 Vacation Deprivation Study, 59 percent of Americans feel vacation-deprived. The study also reports that last year Americans collectively failed to take more than 500 million available days of vacation.

They aren't using all of their vacation days and when they do, many aren't actually getting away from it all. There are various reasons that vacation days go unused—failure to plan, financial worry, forgetfulness, or the feeling that one is required at work. However, the irony is that rested employees are more productive employees, so taking regular vacations may well help the company more than failing to do so.

Consequently, Americans seem to treat vacations as a luxury rather than a necessity.

Responses to a recent nationwide Harris Poll conducted for Purchasing Power revealed that employees who don't feel they have appropriate work-life balance are concerned about their health, work performance, spending time with loved ones and being able to 'unplug' from the office. Instead of enjoying the comforts that employment provides, many employees feel that they have to sacrifice them.

The power of vacation

Using vacation days pays off for both employees and employers. Employees who take most or all of their vacation time each year perform at higher levels, are more productive and are more satisfied in their jobs than those who do not, according to a survey of HR professionals by the Society for Human Resource Management.

A vital element to having a quality work-life balance is being able to unwind while away from the office— not just after work hours—but being able to take a “true” vacation. For the employees who are taking some paid time off, many actually are financially unable to leave town to take a vacation. In addition to driving higher employee performance and productivity, fully utilizing vacation time boosts organizational morale, contributes to employee wellness and results in higher employee retention. Thus, encouraging employees to use their vacation days plays a vital role in contributing to the success of the entire organization.

The real cost of vacation

A large percentage of U.S. workers live paycheck to paycheck. For those employees who don't have cash, they generally resort to using credit cards to pay for these vacations. While this may be a good option for employees who qualify for prime credit (44 percent of Americans, according to a recent Time article) and are able to make full payments, it's not the best choice for many consumers.

That's because 56 percent of Americans have carried unpaid balances in the last 12 months, which exponentially increases the total cost, something not generally factored in when making the initial vacation purchase. For example, consider a $2,000 vacation that's paid for on a credit card with an 18 percent interest rate. If the employee gets caught in the “minimum payment” trap, it can take more than 10 years to pay off that vacation purchase.

Proving a solution

Today's brokers aren't just selling products. The new broker role focuses more on assisting employers with their HR objectives than it does on simply presenting a variety of product offerings for the employee benefits plan. And it includes educating employers on the status of their employees' financial well-being, its effect on the company, and the various ways—including through voluntary benefits—that employers can help employees improve their financial wellness.

Brokers can offer their clients a smart financing alternative for their employees' trips that can be added to the company voluntary benefits plan—an employee purchase program that includes vacation packages. An employer-sponsored employee purchase program is an affordable way for employees to take a vacation because it provides a disciplined payment plan through payroll deduction that is a less expensive alternative to some credit cards or other financing options.

Through this voluntary benefit, employers can make available a variety of vacation options such as hotels, cruises, destination packages and all-inclusive resorts that workers can responsibly acquire and have the cost deducted from their paycheck through manageable payments over 12 months.

Employees indicate that they are interested in having access to such a program. In the recent Harris Poll/Purchasing Power survey, 30 percent of employees said they would be likely or very likely, and 57 percent said they would be at least somewhat likely, to use an employee purchase program to buy cruises, hotel rooms and vacation stays if they were offered as a payroll-deducted voluntary benefit through their worksite.

Taking a vacation—and disconnecting from work—can be one of the healthiest steps employees can take in achieving work-life balance. Employees who take most or all of their vacation time each year perform better, are more productive and more satisfied with their jobs than those who do not.

Brokers who bring this new voluntary benefit option to the attention of their clients are showing that they are doing more than putting new products on the table. They are bringing products that offer solutions to today's HR challenges and the company's bottom line.