Employees returning back to work after a holiday break are actually more prone to higher stress levels even if they’ve spent time resting and recuperating, suggests the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology (EAOHP).
The EAOHP explained that research showed that coping through recovery during non-work time played a crucial role in protecting employees from the adverse effects of exposure to job stressors but that it wasn’t necessarily a cure.
A spokesperson said: “Even if an individual recovers during their holiday, during the first week of work resumption their levels of work-related stress generally return to pre-vacation levels.
“So when an individual returns to work, their level of work-related stress can be even more pronounced.”
A recent survey of 2,000 by Sovereign Health Care provided a different perspective, with 29 per cent of workers suffering from increased stress levels when their colleagues went on holiday.
The EAOHP is the representational body for occupational health psychology, existing to support research, education, and professional practice across Europe.
