Singaporeans "too stressed" to take a holiday

Almost half (45%) of local professionals said they work one to three hours a day during their summer holidays.

According to a survey by Regus, 22% of respondents devote more than three hours per day to work while on holiday, while 40% said their level of attention to professional tasks equates to a slightly reduced ‘business as usual' level.

The survey, which collected responses from more than 26,000 professionals in 96 countries, found Singaporeans might work harder than other employees around the world.

Globally, 41% of respondents said they spend one to three hours a day on work during their holidays, while 17% said they devote more than three hours to work and 39% take a slightly reduced business-as-usual approach.

"The dedication people worldwide are showing towards their jobs is admirable with a huge percentage of business professionals taking their work away with them," John Henderson, Regus regional director for Asia Pacific, said.

"However, this can also be interpreted as an indication that they feel overstretched or insecure in their jobs and are unable to properly switch off.  The effects of work place stress are well documented so it is important that workers carve out some personal time."

The survey also showed men are more likely to work while on holiday than women (48% compared to 26%).

Additionally, only 11% of women will spend more than three hours daily on work whereas 29% of men will do the same.

"Technology has certainly made working from almost anywhere in the world a reality and should be channelled towards helping professionals work more flexibly and productively," said Henderson.

"Allowing workers to reduce their commute or work closer to home can help them work more efficiently so they can really devote their holidays to relaxing."