Annual leave anxiety – 50% of professionals admit to checking work emails on holiday
- 55% of African professionals report feeling anxious upon returning to work after annual leave
- 14% admit to checking emails whilst away to reduce the backlog they’ll return to
- 63% state they’d find it easier to relax on annual leave if their teams were also off
55% of African professionals report feeling anxious upon returning to work after taking annual leave, with 20% admitting implementing firefighting tactics to reduce the backlog of work they’ll return to.
The month of December often sees a spike in employee annual leave yet new findings from a survey by global talent solutions provider Robert Walters highlights how many African professionals are having their periods of leave overshadowed due to experiencing ‘annual leave anxiety’.
Samantha-Jane Gravett, Director of Robert Walters Africa comments: “Professionals suffering with annual leave anxiety not only threaten to lower already historically low engagement rates, but our research suggests that it could have major implications for productivity rates for workplaces across Africa.”
Firefighting inbox backlogs
The anxiety surrounding work emails is so widespread that many professionals’ resort to “firefighting” tactics. In fact, 50% of African professionals check their work emails during annual leave to reduce the backlog they’ll face upon returning, while 16% do so to stay on top of urgent matters.
Further Robert Walters research shows how being able to fully ‘switch off’ from work is a key part of maintaining both a satisfactory work-life balance as well as productivity levels.
Samantha-Jane comments: “Apps such as Slack and MS Teams help to put work right at our fingertips 24/7 – whilst useful, it can result in professionals feeling obligated to ‘check in’ during their time off.”
The anxious end to annual leave
Findings from Robert Walters reveal that back-to-work anxiety significantly impacts professionals as they return to work, with only 13% of African professionals feeling refreshed and ready to work after a long holiday.
Samantha-Jane comments: “Returning to work can trigger many anxieties for professionals, falling behind on important projects, missing major updates or even being handed much heavier workloads. Annual leave should provide professionals respite and a chance to reset – it shouldn’t cause them to become more stressed than before they went away.”
From FOMO to FOFB
Enter FOFB, the fear of falling behind, a new phenomenon that seems to be rife in workplaces. Resoundingly, 63% of professionals across Africa state that it’s much easier to relax on annual leave when their teams are also off.
Samantha-Jane comments: “Not only are professionals resorting to inbox-watching during annual leave, but some are even putting off booking it all together due to fears of how it may make them look at work.”
Collective leave as a solution?
Across Africa, businesses often close for part of December and January. Reasons for these ‘Christmas and New Years shutdowns’ include school holidays, scheduled maintenance, travelling and accommodating staff leave.
47% of African professionals noted that they’d be interested in testing out fixed periods of leave in their company.
A further 26% of African professionals expressed concerns that adopting such shutdowns could limit their overall flexibility. 17% of African employers agreed, stating that implementing such periods would be too disruptive e.g. too costly or hampering productivity.
Samantha-Jane comments: “To boost productivity, employers need to help staff truly disconnect during annual leave, so they come back reset and ready to dive into their work. Business operations won’t halt just because someone is on holiday, so it’s crucial for employers to reinforce and value the right to switch off within their company culture.
“There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for annual leave or holiday policies. Instead, strategies should be customised to prioritise employee wellbeing, engagement, and productivity.”
Samantha-Jane shares her top tips on how leaders can help staff optimise their annual leave:
- Communicate, Don’t Compare: Advise teams to share holiday schedules to keep each other in-the-loop. Reinforcing that the amount of annual leave taken doesn’t reflect an employee’s capability or commitment.
- Flexible Leave Policies: Offer adaptable leave arrangements that accommodate individual needs. If a school holiday leave doesn’t suit some employees, consider allowing them to work remotely during that period.
- Mandatory Handovers: Ensure all staff complete thorough handovers before taking leave to minimise the need for them to log in during their time off.
- Support Out-of-Office Adherence: Once out-of-office messages are set, strengthen them by signposting appropriate secondary contacts for any urgent issues.
- Encourage Pre-Leave To-Do Lists: Advise employees to create detailed to-do lists before their leave. This will help them prioritise tasks upon return, making it easier to manage their workload effectively.
- Strengthen company-wide messaging around the right to switch off – create a culture which supports employees right to switch-off during holidays, this will help create a more refreshed, engaged returning workforce.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
