More than half of UAE employees check work emails during leave

According to a survey by Robert Walters, over 54% of professionals in the UAE and Middle East check work emails during annual leave, and only 22% feel refreshed upon returning to the workplace. Jason Grundy, managing director of Robert Walters Middle East, said: “Annual leave should provide professionals respite and a chance to reset – it shouldn’t cause them to become more stressed than before they went away.” The study highlights that 65% of employees experience anxiety when returning to work, with many resorting to “firefighting tactics” to manage their workload. The phenomenon of “fear of falling behind” (FOFB) is prevalent: 63% of professionals say they find it easier to relax on leave when their teams are also off.