Several employees experience anxiety around the holidays, which affects their mental wellbeing, a recent study focused on the Middle East has highlighted, coinciding with the summer break starting this month.
New findings from the survey by global talent solutions provider Robert Walters revealed that 65 per cent of professionals in the Middle East felt anxious upon returning to work after their annual leave while only 22pc felt refreshed and ready to work after a long holiday.
Many professionals resorted to ‘firefighting’ tactics and continued to check their emails – with 54pc saying they do it to reduce the backlog they will return to and 41pc, to stay on top of urgent matters.
The survey, which was conducted via a series of LinkedIn polls in May and June this year and which saw the participation of 1,100 Middle Eastern professionals, revealed ‘FOFB’ at the workplace – the ‘fear of falling behind’ – with 63pc saying that it’s much easier to relax on annual leave when their teams are also off.
Bahraini author Noor Mohanna, who works as a librarian at a government school by day, concurred, explaining that it is a lot easier for her to ‘relax’ now that the schools are closed.
“We’re allotted one day of personal leave per month but during those days, I don’t feel rested as I am connected to my phone and WhatsApp groups and know in real time what is going on at my workplace. I feel conflicted, I feel guilty but at the same time I feel I need this time for myself,” she added.
According to Robert Walters Middle East managing director Jason Grundy, professionals suffering from annual leave anxiety not only threaten to lower already historically low engagement rates, but could also lead to major implications for productivity rates for workplaces across the region.
In Bahrain, July and August witness less activity, with schools closing, public events reducing and corporates witnessing a spike in employee annual leave.
However, Grundy highlights that some professionals in the region put off booking their holidays all together due to fears of how it may make them look at work.
“Many employees experience guilt, feeling that if they take off, they might not be a good enough employee. They also worry about what people will think, all of which can cause anxiety around the holidays,” Bahrain-based licensed psychologist Dr Anne-Laure Renard, who has 14 years’ experience in corporate psychology, told the GDN.
“When market conditions are difficult, one wants to stick to one’s job so, one feels that one has to be present all the time. Being an anxiety-prone person or believing that one is indispensable to the workplace can also play a role,” the Belgian national added.
Dr Renard also listed structural causes, which are linked to the way the business operates.
Dr Renard
“Everybody is constantly connected so, there is an expectation to be available all the time. Also, when the economy is not good, there is pressure from the company to deliver more, which is something we see globally,” Dr Renard added.
Bahrain-based entrepreneur Anita Menon noted that as someone who runs her own business she will never be able to switch off. However, she compartmentalises her day, taking dedicated time off from her phone.
Ms Menon
“I’ve learned to navigate my anxiety over the last 11 years, delegating and trusting my team, but I do feel a lot more at ease when I’m in the country than when I’m away,” said the Indian expatriate and businesswoman.
Planning your leave, out-of-office emails and proper handovers could help ease the anxiety surrounding the holidays, according to Dr Renard, who highlighted that from a neurobiological aspect, the brain needs rest.
Many studies have demonstrated that without rest, decision-making and performance are impaired and the individual is more likely to experience burnout.
“Once you’re on holiday, you could decide to switch off your notifications completely or assign a time of the day to check your updates. Keeping busy with activities will give you less time to think, worry and even check your updates. Setting clear boundaries and sticking to them is important.”
The Robert Walters report additionally noted that in many countries such as Spain and France, businesses often close for part of July and August due to hot weather, scheduled maintenance and to accommodate staff leave.
When suggested to the Middle East market through the poll, 45pc of the professionals noted that they would be interested in testing out seasonal shutdowns – fixed periods of leave in their company.
However, 48pc expressed concerns that adopting such shutdowns could limit their overall flexibility, with 34pc of employers agreeing and stating that implementing such periods would be ‘too disruptive e g too costly or hampering productivity’.
melissa@gdnmedia.bh
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