Managers struggle with work/life balance

Managers are struggling to maintain a work/life balance with almost all admitting to checking their work emails while they are on holiday, a report from Peninsula has found.

Research from the employment law firm revealed that not only do 85% of managers admit to checking their work email on holiday, they spend an average of six hours 40 minutes replying to work emails while away.

Furthermore, whether or not there is internet connectivity governs their choice when booking a holiday. Peter Done, managing director of Peninsula, claimed “employees are becoming slaves to modern technology and because email has made it easier than ever to keep in constant contact with the office, they are finding it hard to get a true break from work.”

Also, the advent of modern technology means employers are expecting more from their managers – 74% of bosses said they expected their management team to have contact with them at some point during their holiday.

“Employers should encourage their managers to enjoy their holidays, not insisting they make contact with the office,” commented Done. “They should not expect employees to contact the office at all and need to make provisions for the absence of the employee.”

Employees can take strident steps to reduce the impact of their absence and reduce the inclination to contact their absence. Done encouraged workers to set up an auto out of office reply on their email accounts and to delegate work to colleagues where possible.

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