Accessible for the job

Only a third switch off completely on vacation

Checking emails by the pool, video calls from the hotel room, phone calls at the campsite - two thirds (66%) of working people who have planned a summer vacation this year are also available for work during their holiday. Older people in particular remain active on business even when on vacation.

This is the result of a survey conducted by the German industry association Bitkom. According to the survey, 73% of 50 to 64-year-olds in employment are available for work during their summer vacation, compared to only half (51%) of 16 to 29-year-olds in employment. In contrast, just under a third (31%) of working people want to switch off completely and not respond to work-related inquiries during their summer vacation this year.

Two thirds of working people can be reached while on vacation.(Bild: Bitkom)

For the vast majority, actual or assumed expectations of others are a reason for being available: over half (59%) say they are available because their superiors expect them to be. 51% say that their colleagues expect it of them, 46% see this demand from customers and a quarter (25%) from business partners. However, 13% are convinced that their employees expect it of them. Only 15 percent say that they want to be available on their own initiative during their summer vacation.

Blurring the boundaries
According to the survey, it is usually a phone call or a text message that interrupts a vacation: Around two thirds (65 percent) of working people can be reached by phone or by text message such as SMS or WhatsApp. 29 percent read or reply to business emails. Just under a quarter (23%) can be reached by video call via Facetime or Zoom, for example, and eleven percent via collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams or Slack.

"Especially in times of working from home and mobile working, the boundaries between private and professional life are becoming blurred for many people. This makes it all the more important to really use time off from work to relax," says Bitkom CEO Dr. Bernhard Rohleder. "Vacation should only be interrupted in urgent emergencies." Employers are responsible for organizing substitute solutions in good time and agreeing clear internal company regulations for availability during absences.