Warning | Why do we think it's okay to harass employees on holiday?

When the entirety of your professional digital footprint can fit in the pocket of your jacket, the concept of work-life balance often feels like a distant dream for many. Smart phones, laptops, Teams and Zoom seem to find their way into every minute of our waking lives, creating the very real threat of being ‘always on’.

Yet, there should even in the worst case still be one last bastion of divorce between working and personal life – taking annual leave.

Sadly, it seems this is not the case. A recent study by ELVTR revealed that a significant number of employees are being bombarded with work-related messages, even when they are on vacation.

According to the study, one in four individuals is asked to check their work emails during vacations, while nearly a quarter receive work-related text messages while trying to unwind. Additionally, 17% are bothered by work emails, and 23% face interruptions through social media or phone calls during their much-needed breaks. Shockingly, a staggering one in three employees feels an implicit expectation to work through their vacations.