UK workers need to take a holiday every 60 days if they are to stay fresh, focused and avoid feeling stressed, according to research.
A survey among 2,000 adults undertaken by Post Office Travel Insurance revealed that one in four felt the need to take a break from work every two months, with 20% feeling they were ready to get away again after only one. Despite this, only 11% of workers were able to take a holiday every couple of months and 17% left it more like six months before they escaped.
Rachel Croft, head of Post Office Travel Insurance, said: “This research shows that many people need to take regular breaks in order to feel relaxed and recharged.”
Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University, agreed. He told the Daily Mail: “Workers should really take a break every few months otherwise they will burn out, which is bad for them and their employer. People who fail to go on holiday are more likely to become anxious, aggressive and withdrawn. They may also develop aches and pains and struggle to sleep.”
Moreover, over-working depressed people’s immune system, which meant they were more prone to colds and flu. As a result, Cooper added: “From the employer’s view, an employee who has not been on holiday will become less productive and more prone to mistakes.”
The most common holiday pattern (30%), meanwhile, was to take a couple of week-long breaks throughout the year, topped up with regular long weekends. But 15% of people admitted that it took them five days or more of down time before they felt fully relaxed. A further 22% chose to take two week holidays interspersed with long weekends, while only 9% enjoyed a three week break.
But the study likewise indicated that work concerns could mar workers’ lives even when they got away. Just under a quarter of those questioned reported that the fact that colleagues failed to pick up their workload in their absence increased their stress levels. Some 15% ended up working late the night before their holiday in order to get everything done, while 11% admitted to taking work calls and checking emails while they were away.
