Member Article

Post-holiday blues hit workers

Almost a third of workers dread the extra work waiting for them after taking annual leave, according to a poll by recruitment agency Select Appointments. Of the 1,163 workers polled, 38% cannot wait to book their next holiday, and only 20% feel more rested and organised on their return to work. A mere four per cent are desperate to get back to their desks, and seven per cent claim not to take any holiday at all.

Sandy Jarrett, Strategy Support Manager at Select Appointments, said: “Employees who return to the office fearing the amount of work they’re going to face risk not benefiting from the recuperative rest and relaxation they enjoyed on holiday. In the UK we already suffer from the shortest average amount of holiday and from working the longest hours in Europe. If line managers spend time with their staff to understand outstanding projects and workload, as well as possible bottlenecks, and put measures in place to enable them to hand over their work, there is more chance they will return motivated and refreshed.”

Five tips to help staff ease back into work after holidays includes: asking colleagues to check email and in-trays, or hire a temporary to cover for them so that morale and productivity does not suffer; asking employees to prepare hand-over notes and spend some time with the person covering their role; welcoming them back after their break; advising employees to spend the initial part of their first day back going through their inbox and creating an action list of tasks to be completed, so they have an organised approach; and try not to arrange meetings for the returning employee on the day of their return.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .