91% of Brits at risk of burnout due to gadget obsession

The obsession with technology that keeps us constantly connected is putting the British working population at risk of burnout, with a staggering 91% failing to establish a healthy work-life balance because they refuse to turn off their devices.

A survey by ElectricTobacconist.co.uk as part of the UK Gadget Usage Report 2017 reveals that as many as one in five employees plan to bring at least five devices on holiday, some of which will be connected to their work emails. That’s three more gadgets than the average Brit brings to work on a daily basis.

With the amount of technology in the average Brit’s suitcase reaching £1,000, common gadgets taken on holiday other than mobiles include tablet computers (42%), laptops (23%) and spare battery packs to keep those devices running (38%).

Despite the traditional view that a holiday should be a chance to completely ‘switch off’ and forget about work, only 9% of those surveyed say they intend to leave their devises at home when they go away.

Pascal Culverhouse, founder and CEO at ElectricTobacconist.co.uk said: “These figures highlight how the growing use of technology calls for workers to assess how they utilise their holidays and make more effort to put down gadgets when they don’t really need them. Using a lot of technology tends to stimulate the mind rather than calm it, meaning that a holiday spent in this way won’t have the same positive benefits in terms of emotional health.

“Even though we are aware of the benefits of taking a full digital detox on the occasions when we get time out of the office to unwind, it seems we still can’t switch off entirely and actually want to surround ourselves with more rather than less technology.

“Employees who are subject to high levels of stress yet are unable to rest when it’s needed risk affecting their wellbeing and productivity. It is important for businesses to highlight the importance of switching off and encourage employees to leave their work technology at home when going on holiday, turning off emails where possible, for the duration of their break.”