True or false: Working during a vacation saves time and makes you more productive when you get back to work.
You probably guessed that the correct answer is "false," according to a number of recent studies.
But prejudices about "real vacations" abound in some corporate cultures and seem to make many employees feel uncomfortable.
A recent online survey conducted by Monster.ca of 1,439 Canadians showed that fewer than half of respondents (43%) really stop working during. Almost one in five say that they never really stop working at all.
The impact of vacations on productivity and performance
Far from making people more productive at work, this ambiguous attitude towards vacations has the opposite effect, resulting in a vicious circle that forces people to spend more time at work to make up for the counter-productive effects of accumulated fatigue.
The problems that result from this kind of fatigue are well documented. They may be mental (stress, burnout, depression) or physical. This all may lead to presenteeism and absenteeism; neglecting to take a break makes people less productive and more subject to a range of illnesses.
According to Jean-Pierre Brun, professor and Chair of Occupational Health and Safety Management at Université Laval, the typically North American myth that purports that productivity increases as the number of hours worked increases does not pass muster, when evaluated against how things are done elsewhere.
"You have to look at other models throughout the world. In Europe, many countries offer people a month of vacation… and that doesn't make their economies any less strong." 1
Vacations: A necessary good
Vacations provide benefits both in terms of physical and mental health, which in turn have a positive effect on productivity at work: 2
Vacations reinforce creativity: Giving people time to refocus and take some time for themselves means that they return to work refreshed and rejuvenated.Vacations make people less prone to burnout: When people take the time to relax, they are less subject to stress and burnout.
Vacations keep people healthy: When people take the time to recharge their batteries, stress levels drop, resulting in better physical health.Vacations help strengthen family bonds: When people spend more time with loved ones, those bonds are strengthened and it gives their work meaning.Vacations make people more productive: By improving quality of life and energy stores, vacations make people more effective, more creative, and more productive at work.There is one condition, however. To fully benefit from all a vacation can offer, it must be a "real vacation." That means quality time dedicated to rest and relaxation.
A vacation spent working is another story altogether—unless it's a question of work you're passionate about. That kind of "vacation" results in people returning to work more exhausted than they were before they left. The same holds true for those who are unable to tear themselves away from work.
As Jean-Pierre Brun points out, for a vacation to really constitute time off, you have to make a clean break. "I don't believe people who say that they check their email from time to time. If you're checking your messages, it means that you never really left." 3
Sources :
1 Rodgers, Caroline. "Deux semaines de vacances, c'est assez?", La Presse Affaires, 2008.
2 Scott, Elizabeth. "The Importance of Vacations, for Stress Relief, Productivity and Health",
About.com, 2008.
3 Rodgers, Caroline. op. cit.