— Nearly Two-Thirds Have Cut Short or Cancelled Vacations Due to
Work Pressures —
— More than Half Have Argued with Spouse About Working During
Vacation —
Editor’s Note: Survey Responses at End of News Release
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–As the summer vacation season kicks into high gear, a new Korn
Ferry (NYSE:KFY) survey shows that disconnecting from the office to
enjoy time with friends and family is a tall order for most
professionals.
Nearly half (45 percent) of those surveyed say they check in with the
office multiple times a day while on vacation. More than a quarter (26
percent) say they check in at least once a day, and no one said they
abstain from connecting to work during vacation.
Nearly all (95 percent) of respondents say they plan to take a
vacation that’s at least a week long, but nearly two-thirds (65 percent)
admit they’ve had to cut a vacation short due to work pressures.
When asked why they work while on vacation, the largest percentage said
to ‘put out fires’ (45 percent), and nearly a fifth of respondents (19
percent) say they work while on holiday because they ‘enjoy it.’
In addition, more than half (54 percent) say they’ve argued with a
spouse or significant other about being too connected to work during
vacation.
“In today’s workplace, most employees don’t have the luxury of
completely checking out while on vacation. Clearing the deck of work
responsibilities is hard, but planning better for downtime and
negotiating set plug-in times with family and friends when keeping in
contact with the office is a must,” said Korn Ferry Senior Partner and
Engagement Specialist Mark Royal. “Finding the balance can help
professionals focus on the scenery instead of the screen.”
More than a third (35 percent) of respondents do not plan on using all
of their vacation time, and nearly three quarters (70 percent) said they
would prefer a higher salary to more vacation days.
“Vacation time is not just a nice to have, it’s a must to sustain
workers’ health and well-being,” said Royal. “Our
research finds that the majority of professionals are more stressed
at work than they were five years ago, and they say that stress is
having a negative impact on their personal relationships. Professionals
who can turn off the demands of work – even for short periods of time –
will be more engaged and more productive in the long run.”
About the survey
There were 1,070 responses to the online executive survey, which took
place in May 2019. Please note that due to rounding responses may not
equal 100 percent.
Survey Responses
|
While on vacation, how often do you connect to work? |
||
| Multiple times a day |
45 percent |
|
| Once a day | 26 percent | |
| A few times per week | 21 percent | |
| Once a week | 3 percent | |
| Never | 0 percent | |
|
Would you rather have a salary increase or more vacation days? |
||
| Salary Increase | 70 percent | |
| More vacation days | 30 percent | |
|
While on vacation, have you ever had a disagreement with your |
||
| Yes |
54 percent |
|
| No | 46 percent | |
|
If you work while on vacation, what’s your primary reason for |
||
|
Putting out fires: I get pulled into critical issues |
47 percent |
|
| Too much work to do/Increased workload upon return | 29 percent | |
| I enjoy it | 19 percent | |
| I worry people will make wrong decisions without my input | 5 percent | |
| I worry other people will get assignments I want | 1 percent | |
|
After returning to work from vacation, how long does it |
||
|
One day |
47 percent |
|
| No time |
27 percent |
|
| One week | 24 percent | |
| Two weeks | 2 percent | |
| More than a month | 0 percent | |
|
Do you plan to use all of your available vacation time in 2019? |
||
| Yes | 65 percent | |
| No | 35 percent | |
|
Have you cancelled, delayed or cut short personal vacation |
||
| Yes | 65 percent | |
| No | 35 percent | |
|
Do you plan to take a vacation that is at least one week long |
||
| Yes | 95 percent | |
| No | 5 percent | |
About Korn Ferry
Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm. We help clients
synchronize strategy and talent to drive superior performance. We work
with organizations to design their structures, roles, and
responsibilities. We help them hire the right people to bring their
strategy to life. And we advise them on how to reward, develop, and
motivate their people.
Contacts
MEDIA CONTACT
Tracy Kurschner
612.309.3957
[email protected]
