In a surprising twist, Czech employees have emerged as the least enthusiastic about mixing work with leisure, according to a recent international survey. The Holiday Barometer study, conducted by Ipsos for insurance and assistance company Europ Assistance, reveals that Czechs are the most reluctant among 21 countries to open their laptops poolside during their time off.
Only 18% of Czech respondents expressed willingness to work during their vacations, with 5% planning to do so for the first time this year. This places the Czech Republic at the bottom of the list among surveyed nations across Europe, Asia, North America, the Middle East, and Oceania.
Lukáš Soural, Commercial and Marketing Director at Europ Assistance, explains this phenomenon: “More than three-quarters of Czechs leave work behind during vacations and focus primarily on relaxation. This is primarily related to their expectations from holidays, which include rest and peace (32%), experiences shared with family or friends (29%), and a total change of environment (22%)”.
The Czech attitude towards vacation work is closely mirrored by the French and neighboring Austrians, with exactly one-fifth of respondents in both countries indicating an intention to work during their holidays.
However, not all European countries share this aversion to vacation work. In Switzerland and the United Kingdom, the willingness to dedicate time to work during leisure is almost double that of the Czech Republic, at 35% for both countries. Germany and Poland also show a markedly higher inclination at 31% each.
The contrast becomes even more pronounced when compared with other continents. Saudi Arabia leads the pack, with over three-quarters of its population willing to work on vacation, followed closely by India (75%) and the United Arab Emirates (72%). Outside Europe, Japan (26%), Australia (28%), and Canada (32%) show the lowest willingness to mix work and vacation.
While the Czech approach to vacation time might seem ideal for work-life balance, Soural warns of a growing trend of companies expecting employees to be available even during holidays. He cautions that insufficient rest can lead to increased stress and burnout, not to mention the heightened cybersecurity threats and risk of sensitive data leaks associated with remote work.