Holiday is no rest for HR execs

David Woods, 06 August 2008

The holiday season might be in full swing, but HR executives are unlikely to be relaxing as more than half (59%) find it hard to switch off from work while on holiday.

According to new research from executive job board theladders.co.uk, 41% of HR executives feel they should call the office while on holiday with 39% saying they keep in intermittent contact throughout their break. Almost three quarters (74%) of HR execs who do call the office admit they do it to "stay on top of things".

Email monitoring is also an issue: a third of HR executives check their emails twice a day while on annual leave with 12% responding to them straight away. A third believe this helps them feel more in control of their job, while 30% also said they feel they are more relaxed if they keep checking their emails.

Commenting on the findings Carey Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University, said: "HR professionals are supposed to be good role models and tell others about work-life balance and rest and relaxation. However, they have a very hands-on job and are too ambitious too switch off from work."