Taking a break from your busy life is a must. Nowadays, the tasks and responsibilities being given to an employee are too much, soemtimes even 24 hours isn't enough. Every employee is entitled to an annual vacation leave in order to distress and energize both the mind and body. This kind of vacation often help employees have a chance to rest and just get away from the hustle and bustle of their everyday routine.
However, according to an article in Stuff said that a surprising number of people don't want to take the annual leave credits given to them. It is called FOTAL or Fear of taking annual leave.
A survey that featured 1,250 Australians found that almost two-thirds suffer from FOTAL and didn't use up all their leave credits because they fear that being away from work will cause the work to pile up when they come back and therefore lead to too much stress as well. The number doesn't include the worker parents who are stressed about the days they need to be away from work to take care of their children.
About 78 percent of the respondents felt guilty after taking a break and about 67 percent said they did a little world even if they were on vacation. Receiving emails and phone calls from work while on vacation is ok, right? But the researchers say this is missing the point of being on vacation. Because of modern technology, we can now have a lot of ways to do work which can make someone get up from their desk at 5pm. This can also however result to working while we are spending our private time and away from the office but also leave people without any break.
Suzy Green, founder of the Positivity Institute said that FOTAL isn't a clinical diagnosis but it is common. She said that whenever she runs a workshop in most work places she can observe this. She said, "When you come back you have to deal with your inbox or in-tray. One to two days - or earlier - before you come back, you start thinking about it. You can't even enjoy your holiday."
Green said "Finally, instead of focusing on the fact that you're no longer on vacation, think about how grateful you are for the time you had away. Gratitude creates joy that can carry you through the initial shock of going back to 'real life'."
