Britain
is losing the ability to switch off on holiday, with nearly half of managers
choosing to contact their employers while on annual leave.
Research
by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI)of 1,300 managers also found that 41
per cent of respondents would find a way to check their work e-mails even if on
an all-expenses-paid trip to their ideal destination.
According
to the survey, the majority of managers have more than five weeks’ holiday
entitlement each year, but increasing work commitments mean that 40 per cent of
managers do not take their full holiday allowance. Almost 10 per cent even
‘sell’ excess holiday time as part of flexible benefits packages.
Of
the respondents who plan to take annual leave this year, two-thirds will use
the time to catch up on chores at home; a fifth will remain in the UK to complete
outstanding paperwork, and 21 per cent claim to use their entitlement to visit
doctors or dentists.
Christine
Hayhurst, director of public and professional affairs at the CMI, said the
findings represented a worrying trend as many managers struggle to relax.
"It’s
an area that employers and employees must focus on, as ultimately,
fully-recharged batteries lead to greater job satisfaction and increased
productivity levels," she said.
