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Holidays drive up employee stress

New research from Investors in People – the organisation that works with companies to improve performance – shows that more than half of employees (51%) report working extra hours in the run up to taking annual leave. The problem is worst amongst owner managers, one in seven of (14%) of whom said they could work 16 or more hours - the equivalent of about two extra working days - just before a holiday.
When asked how they felt when they finally made it on holiday, only half of employees (51%) said they don’t think about work when on holiday. Worryingly, nearly one in ten (9%) of workers claimed to feel guilty about leaving colleagues – and nearly one in six (15%) feel stressed that work might not be done properly in their absence.
In contrast, just 30% said that they are confident that colleagues would be handling things effectively while they were away. Apparently this greater trust comes with age: 38% of managers aged 55 or more felt confident, compared to only 21% of 18-24 year old managers.
The research also found that over a quarter (27%) of workers left in the office feel more pressured when a colleague is on holiday. Interestingly, younger employees are more likely to feel pressured than their older counterparts.
Simon Jones, Acting Chief Executive of Investors in People UK, said:
“Holidays should be time to relax – not worry. It's important that employees have confidence in their employers and their colleagues to handle things effectively whilst they are away, rather than getting stressed or putting in ever-longer hours in the days before they go.
“Of course, part of this is down to individuals but managers can guard against the inevitable ‘summer stretch’ by openly co-ordinating and discussing holiday dates, identifying potential pinch points and planning extra resource or balancing workloads accordingly. It's about careful planning and prioritisation well in advance.”
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