Even on Thanksgiving Day, we just can’t stay away from e-mail. Fifty-nine percent of working American adults check work e-mails during traditional family holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. So says a study conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Xobni.
Among these adults who check their work e-mails, 55 percent check at least once a day, and 28 percent do so multiple times a day. Seventy-nine percent of the people who check e-mail say they have received a work-related message from a colleague or client on holidays.
“We’re addicted to e-mail and the Internet, as useful as these tools are,” said Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence. “It’s truly unfortunate that so many people, including me, have trouble unplugging. The constant urge to check e-mail takes you away from whatever you’re doing and makes it hard to concentrate or enjoy yourself.”
Dreading Work E-Mail
Indeed, the onslaught of work is leading to growing contempt by American workers. Forty-one percent of those who have received work e-mails from a coworker or client during time off for the holidays say they are either annoyed, frustrated or resentful about it. Twelve percent of the respondents actually “dread” seeing work e-mails populate their inbox, and 10 percent feel pity for those who send work-related e-mails on holidays.
Despite their displeasure, 42 percent of those who check work e-mail during time off for the holidays believe that staying up-to-date eases their workloads once they return from break. Additionally, 19 percent of those who have ever received work e-mails during time off for the holidays were “thankful” or “relieved” at the distraction.
“This compulsive behavior is reinforced by the fact that everyone around us is acting the same way,” Sterling said. “There’s also an expectation among many people — and many bosses — that employees will be…