People can’t get themselves to disconnect from work, even on the holidays. A study by Harris Interactive shows that 59 percent of people check their work email during holidays. Worse, 55 percent check it every day and 28 percent check it multiple times each day. Harris surveyed 2,179 U.S. adults in early November, reports PC Mag.
More interesting is that of the 79 percent of people who received a work email during a holiday, 41 percent were annoyed and frustrated about the message; 56 percent of 18-34 year olds were bothered by such an interruption, showing that younger workers may value their off time more. However, though they were more likely to get annoyed by holiday emails, younger workers were far more likely to check email or use their phone during awkward family encounters or at other “inappropriate” times like parties or dinner.
Still, 15 percent were happy for the distraction and 10 percent felt bad for coworkers who are compelled to send emails during breaks. The most popular reason people check their email over breaks is to avoid falling behind (42 percent), as it makes the return from vacation less stressful.
Do you completely disconnect yourself during breaks, or do you sneak an email every once in a while?
