The holiday season might be in full swing, but HR executives are unlikely to be relaxing as more than half (59%) find it hard to switch off from work while on holiday.

According to new research from executive job board theladders.co.uk, 41% of HR executives feel they should call the office while on holiday with 39% saying they keep in intermittent contact throughout their break. Almost three quarters (74%) of HR execs who do call the office admit they do it to "stay on top of things".
 
Email monitoring is also an issue: a third of HR executives check their emails twice a day while on annual leave with 12% responding to them straight away. A third believe this helps them feel more in control of their job, while 30% also said they feel they are more relaxed if they keep checking their emails.
 
Commenting on the findings Carey Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University, said: "HR professionals are supposed to be good role models and tell others about work-life balance and rest and relaxation. However, they have a very hands-on job and are too ambitious too switch off from work."