These days, vacations are barely even vacations. Thanks to smartphones, laptops, tablet devices — oh, and your jerk-off boss — it’s practically impossible to go anywhere without the office tagging along. So it’s no surprise that, according to a recent survey of U.S. workers, more than half of people going on vacation this summer planned to do work-related tasks like answering phone calls or replying to emails while they were supposed to be relaxing. Sixty percent said that vacations didn’t relieve stress or rejuvenate them, and more than 25 percent admitted that they were even more stressed upon returning to work after time off.
Another poll found that, while on vacation:
• 41 percent of people check in with the office at least every other day.
• 6.5 percent check in with the office multiple times per day.
• 30 percent expect to read work-related emails.
• 18 percent expect to receive text messages that pertain to work.
Of course, these depressing stats aren’t due only to the fact that it’s so easy to stay connected to the office these days. Workforces are so lean that there’s seldom anyone available to truly cover for you while you’re gone, meaning you may be on the beach now, but in the back of your head you’re thinking about the work piling up on your desk while you’re gone. Point is, work sucks.
