“Professionals suffering from annual leave anxiety not only threaten already-low engagement levels but the long-term impact on productivity across workplaces could be substantial, ”says Jason Grundy, Managing Director of Robert Walters Middle East, “
Firefighting inbox backlogs
The anxiety surrounding work emails is so widespread that many professionals’ resort to “firefighting” tactics. In fact, 54% of professionals in the Middle East check their work emails during annual leave to reduce the backlog they’ll face upon returning, while 41% do so to stay on top of urgent matters.
Grundy noted that 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 22% of professionals in the Middle East feeling refreshed and ready to work after a long holiday.
“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 should not cause them to become more stressed than before they went away,” Grundy added.
Enter FOFB, the fear of falling behind, a new phenomenon that seems to be rife in workplaces. Resoundingly, 63% of professionals across the Middle East state that it’s much easier to relax on annual leave when their teams are also off.
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