Oh, it does. It makes a big difference in stress for me and most of people whom I ask if you have two or four weeks of vacation. I noticed that those who answer otherwise, display some neurotic oppressive symptoms.
With four weeks you can have a real break.
Who ya callin' neurotic? Huh? Who? Huh? Neurotic? Huh???? Ya talkin' to me?
I'm chuckling here thinking of me in earlier times and my former business associates (petrochemical engineering). We would have experienced a real psychotic break if forced on a four week vacation without our wireless laptop computer, email, and PDA. :-)
However, the long days of hard work have their reward; a very early retirement with many long years of happy and healthy leisure time with family and friends.
Ya, ok. You keep telling yourself that.
Lots of people in the US get that much paid time off (most that I know of off-hand, in fact), and I know a few that get more than 4 weeks. American vacation allocations are often pretty generous these days, at least in the private sector.
Of course, I also know that most of these same people do not come anywhere near using all their vacation.