Almost three quarters think work will spoil their festive fun

The pressure of work is putting paid to many workers’ plans for relaxation over the Christmas holidays, according to research published today.

As the country moves into the final working week before the festive break, a survey of over 1,000 employees across the UK has found that almost three quarters of workers (73%) are worried that work will spoil their Christmas cheer.

The study found that over a quarter of people (28%) are worried that they would end up missing out by having to work over the festive season. Although almost six in ten (58%) people had not voluntarily taken extra hours during the Christmas period, over half (51%), had previously had their Christmas break interrupted by work, with 37% admitting it had happened more than once.

People working in the IT and telecoms sector were more likely to have to work over Christmas (39.8%), followed closely by retail, catering and leisure workers (39.4%). People working in the finance sector were most likely to be distracted by thoughts of heavy workloads and looming deadlines (39%), while those working in the professional services sector were the most worried that they would not get their work finished in time for the holidays.

The survey, commissioned by cash plan provider Medicash, found that workers in the North of England are most worried about having to work through the holidays, with Manchester coming out on top (40%), followed by Newcastle (34%) and Liverpool (31%) and in the Midlands, Birmingham (30%).

The research follows the publication of a report by Towers Watson, the Global Workforce Study, which reveals that a third of UK employees say they are often affected by excessive pressure in their job.

The Towers Watson report, which surveyed some 32,000 employees worldwide, found that 58% of UK workers say they have been working more hours than normal over the last three years. Half of these expect this to continue for another three years.