Study: Two-thirds of Czechs take their work with them on vacation

Photo: Kristýna Maková

Summer holidays when people were able to kick back without once thinking about work are increasingly becoming a thing of the past.

Photo: archive of Radio Prague
According to a new survey conducted by Intel in the Czech Republic, some two-thirds of Czechs now take their work with them – at the very least checking or responding to text messages and emails while on vacation. Some 1,200 people were polled in a new survey by Intel regarding how they spend their vacation, namely, whether they take their work along or leave the everyday grind at home.

The study found most now take their tablet, notebook or other device with them, retaining internet access and remaining within reach. The survey found that of the Czechs who continue to work while away, one-third works intensively. That goes against psychologists’ warning that holiday time should be used primarily to break daily routines and to get some R and R.

Psychologist Jeroným Klimeš tells Czech Radio that workaholics need to learn when to ‘shut off’; if work-related activities cut drastically into vacation time or time spent with loved ones, something is amiss.

“They are people who get bored at the cinema, when they are around a campfire and should be talking with friends, they get bored. If someone constantly pursues [work] activities it is extreme.”

Jeroným Klimeš,  photo: Noemi Fingerlandová
Some psychologists say that while it is preferable to take a break from work while away, in some cases, presumably for some personalities, it is detrimental to be completely cut off. Michal Miovský is the head of the Addictology Clinic at the General Teaching Hospital in Prague:

“If someone is going to fret or worry about what awaits them when they get back after 10, 12, or 14 days, it [may be better to stay in contact].”

The study suggests that men (62 percent) were a little more likely to work while on holiday than women (51 percent) and that half of those who left electronic devices at home while on holiday, “missed them”. Those who missed the devices the most, somewhat surprisingly, are in the age bracket of 50 or more.

Of the eighty-six percent who take their devices with them, meanwhile, most keep in touch with families and friends at home.