One third of office workers expected to work on Christmas Day

Office workers may not be able to enjoy the festive break, with new research revealing one third expect to log on to work and check emails on Christmas Day.

The research, which was carried out by TLF Research for tech firm eShare, found that 20 per cent of those interviewed said they will log on to work every day of the Christmas holidays, while seven per cent revealed they would do multiple times a day.

47 per cent of those surveyed also expect to work and check their emails on Christmas Eve.

Results found that 14 per cent of workers often get bored over Christmas, which is why they choose to check emails, while 15 per cent said working gives them the opportunity to sneak away from their family for a bit.

“The way many of us live and work now, means that taking a complete break from the office is neither desirable nor practical for a great number of people,” said Alister Esam, CEO of eShare.

“While traditionalists might lament the changing Christmas work habits, if it helps people relax to quickly check urgent emails, or even take time from the festivities to draft an urgent document, then is there really a problem with that?”

More than a third of workers felt it was expected of them to work over the Christmas period, with 35 per cent citing that their clients hoped they would be available over Christmas.

In contrast, 40 per cent felt they were being conscientious by logging on over the festive period, while others had ulterior motives for working, with 18 per cent revealing they were using ‘presenteeism’, and wanting to show others that they were working hard.

Esam said: “Logging on to look busy is daft and will fool no one. But if people feel obliged to work over Christmas – by clients, co-workers or management – then that is where problems can emerge.

“If it is essential for people to work over Christmas, then involving HR to agree what is expected and confirm possible time in lieu is a positive step in managing this potentially thorny issue.”