The survey was carried out between September 1 and 8, 2023 on a sample of 11,410 employees aged 18 to 65 from Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, Greece and Hungary. Of the 11,410 respondents, 6,082 are also parents.
Among Romanian employees, 79% of them have taken a holiday in 2023, and of the remaining 21% who did not take a holiday around 8% plan to take one in the next three months. The percentages of those who have had a holiday in 2023 are similar at regional level, ranging from 75% (Republic of Moldova) to 83% (Hungary).
Regarding the duration of their leave, 24% of Romanian employees have taken between five to nine working days off in 2023, 19% fewer than five working days, 17% requested leave for ten working days and 7% for 15 working days. Five to nine working days of leave was requested mostly in Romania and Bulgaria, in Moldova most employees took 15 working days off (31% of respondents), and in Greece and Hungary, most employees chose fewer than five working days (22% in Greece and 24% in Hungary).
“The survey shows us figures about a trend accelerated by the pandemic which in English is called workation – the habit of working on holiday. For freelancers it’s a way of life, the same for those who really enjoy what they do or for those who feel more comfortable dealing with certain work situations when they’re on holiday instead of having a full inbox when they return to the office. But, one in five Romanian employees is bothered by the situation because this practice has become a habit in the company where they work, which is worrying. But the survey also shows that around 41% of employees have spoken to their managers and the problem has been rectified. So it is essential that employees speak up without fear, and that employers look for solutions that allow people to truly have the work-life balance we all want”, says Costin Tudor, CEO WhereWeWork.
Around 65% of Romanian employees say they managed to relax and disconnect from their work duties on holiday. The percentages are similar at regional level and Hungary boasts the most employees who managed to relax on holiday (71%).
Some 40% of Romanian employees say the last holiday in which they did not work was this year, and 23% say they have never worked on holiday. On the other hand, 16% of the employees say the last holiday in which they did not work was two-five years ago, 8% said more than five years ago and 11% said they always worked on holiday. By comparison, at regional level, employees in the Republic of Moldova are the ones who work the most on holiday – 22% of them have worked on all holidays so far. On the other hand, Greeks are the least likely to relax on holiday – only 32% say they manage to forget about work on holiday.
In Romania, 40% of employees in Romania said they were contacted on holiday by colleagues and managers to solve different work tasks and tried to solve them. 10% said they were contacted but explained they did not work on holiday. At regional level, employees from the Republic of Moldova are the most often contacted during holidays to solve work tasks, and they solve what is asked of them – 56% of Moldovan employees do so.
At the same time, 31% of employees in Romania take their laptops on holiday to make sure they can deal with any situations that arise at work. The percentage is 53% in the Republic of Moldova, 46% in Greece, 36% in Hungary and 31% in Bulgaria.
Around 34% of Romanians are bothered to work on holiday even if it happens rarely, while 38% are not bothered if it happens occasionally. Some 18% are bothered because working on holiday has become common practice in the companies they work for, and 9% are comfortable with working on holiday because they really enjoy what they do, saying that for them there is no clear line between work and time off.
When it comes to managing children’s time during school, 30% of working parents in Romania say they will work with their children from home, 41% of them rely on family members, and 33% have chosen an after-school or a private school. The Republic of Moldova stands out with the highest percentage receiving help from family, and Bulgaria has the highest percentage of parents taking their children to an after-school – 40%.
Regarding the habit of working on holiday, 41% of Romanian employees say the problem has been solved after talking to their manager, and 29% plan to discuss the issue. On the other hand, 16% of Romanian employees say they have spoken to their managers, but the situation has not changed, and 14% of respondents say they are afraid to talk about it with their supervisors. Greece has the highest percentage of employees who have not got understanding for the situation (24%) and Bulgaria has the highest percentage (45%) of employees who feel the situation has improved.
Regionally, Hungary has the highest number of employees (33%) who are unhappy because working on holiday has become a habit in the companies they work for. On the other hand, in Greece most employees are unhappy about working on holiday even though it rarely happens (52%).
Of the 11,410 respondents in the five countries, 6,082 are also parents, and some 57% of Romanian parents say that during their children’s summer holiday they worked with them from home and went on holiday together. Around 23% say they sent their children to after school for a few weeks, and the rest of the weeks the children were involved in other activities (e.g. went to grandparents, urban camps, whole family holidays). The Republic of Moldova has the highest percentage of employed parents who worked with their children from home and did not even manage to go on holiday – 25% of respondents.