One in three British workers donโt โswitch offโ on holiday, while many even expect work-related calls, texts and emails, new research reveals.
A study of 2000 employees found a large percentage purposely keep their phones on during their sunshine break, while one in five says they have to check their work emails while on holiday โjust to be able to relaxโ.
The research, which was commissioned byย Travelbag.co.uk, revealed millions of us find it hard to switch off even after we have landed at our chosen destination, with worrying about targets or work performance, job security and office politics the main issues.
In fact, Brits lose the best part of two days of the typical holiday to worry or stress from their home life before they can properly switch off, results showed.
The research found the average person spends at least 15 minutes per day contemplating work while supposedly on holiday. And over a fifth canโt help but daydream about work while on the beach or relaxing by the pool, while fears over mounting workloads and what theyโll be returning to plagues a third of Brits.
Other stresses that tend to follow us on holiday include nagging thoughts over finances, followed by general work worry and the worry about family membersโ health.
Paul Hopkinson, a spokesman forย Travelbag.co.ukย says: โItโs no secret that the expectations and pressures surrounding modern working lives have changed.
โIncreasingly, workers are asked to be more contactable and as a result it can be much harder to separate work and leisure time. Making sure people get the time to properly unwind and disconnect from their routines and regular stresses is important in keeping people happy, relaxed and returning to work all the better for it after a break.โ
Results also showed we can be our own worst enemy even when thereโs nothing to worry about โ a fifth of tortured holiday goers say they imagine problems going on at work in their absence and that it puts them on edge.
A frazzled one in six workers say their work expects them to be contactable even while on holiday. Thatโs why one in seven has checked emails while poolside or at the beach and says that they would be worried on returning to work if they hadnโt made any contact before stepping back into the office.
Worryingly, more than a quarter of people said they found going away for a holiday more stressful than relaxing at times. And 14% of those polled said theyโd wished they hadnโt gone on holiday in the first place after returning to massive workloads.
Hopkinson adds: โThe research shows people not only struggling to switch off but actually needing to check work emails in order to gain peace of mind, even while on holiday.
โIf you do need to be available on your holiday, set a particular time with your work colleagues to highlight when youโll be checking your emails, and make sure you stick to it.โ
