Summer proves a stressful business for UK recruiters

The annual summer break is a time when most of us can escape from the demands of the day job and leave work far behind, yet according to a new survey by Moneypenny, the hardest thing for Britainís recruitment agencies and in-house HR professionals to do is switch off when on holiday.

In a recent poll by Moneypenny (www.moneypenny.biz), eighty two per cent of UK recruitment managers and consultants admitted to checking their emails whilst on holiday, with almost half (49 per cent) reading them daily and an obsessive one in ten monitoring them on an hourly basis whilst on the beach or by the pool.

Three quarters (76 per cent) said they routinely take business calls during their time on holiday with one in ten having actually cancelled or cut short a vacation because of work.

The poll of recruitment managers by Moneypenny also revealed that thirty-nine per cent had interrupted their break to attend meetings when they should be relaxing.

And it seems that their concept of relaxation might be at odds with everybody elseís. Nearly half, (46%), reported that they found it easier to unwind on holiday with the mobile phone switched on.

Conducted in May this year, the Moneypenny ëHoliday Hell or Holiday Heaven?í survey included a statistical cross section of 2,500 recruitment agencies and businesses across the country and in all sectors.

Rachel Clacher, Director of Moneypenny said: ìIt is clear from these results that work issues follow the vast majority of managers away when they try to take time off. With this sector forming the bedrock of the UK economy, the more that can be done to counter the stress this causes the better.

ìIf businesses invested in the right support services, working efficiencies and capabilities could be raised throughout the year. Using such facilities means that work would intrude less on managers on holiday, enabling them to enjoy peace of mind. Safe in the knowledge that should any of their clients call in their absence; it will be business as usual. Consequently being away has little or no impact, allowing them to relax and recharge their batteries.î

Stephen Alambritis, Head of Public Affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses added:

Because business owners are so personally invested in their work, it can be difficult to relax when they're on holiday. In that sense, the findings of this survey emphasises the need to review alternative methods that can allow owner managers to leave companies behind happy that they havenít abandoned the business. Any help that can give them confidence that all will be well with the business while they're on holiday is very welcome.

Set up in January 2000 by brother and sister team Ed Reeves and Rachel Clacher, Moneypenny is an award-winning business which combines sophisticated technology and highly trained staff to offer the UKís first and only comprehensive outsourced reception and call handling service. The Moneypenny team manage calls for 30,000 individuals, answering the phone 2,500 different ways every day, picking up 3.5 million calls a year, each transferred through or passed on as a message.

Used by SMEs, large corporates and a range of businesses in between, the services are used to either support existing teams during busy periods or managing the entire reception function.