Two-thirds of business people check their e-mails while they’re on their summer holidays, according to research.
Recruitment consultancy Harvey Nash found that 64% of the 2,000 senior executives it surveyed logged on at some point during their break.
The poll found that it was curiosity rather than necessity that kept workers glued to their laptops and Blackberries – most just wanted to ‘see how things were going’.
But employers are not helping workers to switch off. Only 15% said they received full support from their company in balancing their work and home lives.
Harvey Nash chief executive Albert Ellis said: “There’s no doubt that we’re all receiving more e-mails and more demands on our time than ever before.
“But constant checking in and regular weekend working are false economies. If you don’t take a proper break, your productivity is bound to suffer in the long run.”
Two in five senior executives devote time to work on at least one weekend a month, with one in 10 working three or more.
And mobile technology is increasingly blurring the boundaries between work and play, with four in 10 respondents claiming Blackberries and similar devices have had a negative effect on their work-life balance.
