Many people find it difficult to switch off completely on vacation. Work also plays a big role in their free time. One group feels particularly stressed.
Many employees in Germany do not manage to switch off properly when on vacation. According to their own assessment, 24 percent return from their main vacation feeling poorly rested, as a representative survey commissioned by the health insurance company Pronova BKK shows. A further 19 percent feel only moderately rested.
Many employees feel stressed around what is supposedly the best time of the year. Around 60 percent said they had to work extra hours immediately before and after their vacation to organize their absence or catch up on unfinished business. Those surveyed put their overtime at an average of eight hours before and after their vacation.
Half check emails voluntarily
According to the survey, almost half (49 percent) of those surveyed take at least 15 days off for their main vacation. But even during this time, work plays a big role for many people. Around half of the participants check their emails while on vacation and almost two thirds are contacted in a work-related context during their free time.
According to their own estimates, those affected spend an average of 1.3 hours on work on each holiday day. Young employees aged between 18 and 29 even report two hours. In this age group, only 48 percent felt very well or well rested after the main holiday. Overall, 57 percent of employees said this.
Back to work mode early
After all, for many people, their vacation ends earlier than planned: 62 percent are usually already thinking about work one or two days before the end. Three out of four managers switch back to work mode early to avoid chaos when they return.
Patrizia Thamm, business psychologist and resilience trainer at Pronova BKK, advises improving self- and time management to avoid becoming overloaded during your vacation. Mental distance is crucial to really enjoying your vacation and being able to switch off properly.
Source: Stern
