More than one in two (53%) of UK employees have worked while on annual leave in the past 12 months, a new study has found.
These people spent an average of two and a half hours each day working, despite being officially “off the clock”, the research by Forbes Advisor revealed.
The financial guidance and price comparison platform discovered that nearly two in three (64%) hybrid and remote staff work during their time off, compared to more than two in five (44%) who are based in the office.
Three in 10 people who took part in the survey believe doing their job while on leave is the only way to stay on top of their workload – despite half admitting that doing so means they cannot fully relax.
The bank holidays people were found to be most likely to work despite officially being off include Easter Sunday (14%) and Boxing Day (13%). More than one in 10 (11%) have worked on Christmas Day.
In terms of holidays, more than one in five (22%) have worked when away from home, either abroad or in the UK.
One in four (24%) feel they need to reply to colleagues’ messages while they are out of the office, and almost one in five (18%) feel stressed if their absence causes them to miss any developments.
Among those surveyed, 16% say they examine and set work-based targets for themselves while away from the office, with nearly one in 10 (9%) admitting they fear that by not working on holiday they will not be considered a team player.
Kevin Pratt, business expert at Forbes Advisor, said: “The workplace has changed massively over the last few years, including the rise of remote working, but it seems many employees still face the pressure of being ‘always available’.
“Holidays can be a useful time to reflect on work-related goals, but undertaking work-related tasks while away can be detrimental to the primary purpose of having a break. Checking emails and messages may seem quick and harmless, but doing so can contribute to the overall feeling of being unable to fully relax while off the clock, especially if they require or trigger significant further action.
“As Christmas approaches, it is important to manage your workload effectively and set expectations with your manager, and to have the time off you need to reset.”
