Summer vacation or call for a service? The Germans are so accessible!

Summer vacation or call for a service? The Germans are so accessible!

A current survey by the Digital Association Bitkom shows that the majority of professionals in Germany can also be reached for business concerns during the summer vacation. 67 percent of the respondents are willing to react to work inquiries in their free time. These findings are based on a survey in which 1,006 people aged 16 and over in Germany, including 364, who are planning a summer vacation this year.

The possibility of being accessible on vacation varies greatly for age groups. While 73 percent of 50 to 64-year-olds state that they are available during their vacation, the 16- to 29-year-olds are only 57 percent. However, almost a third (32 %) of the professionals would like to remain undisturbed during the vacation, which indicates a certain field of tension between professional expectations and the need for relaxation.

accessibility and their reasons

The survey shows that not only individual decisions, but above all external expectations, influence accessibility. Of the professional respondents who can be reached during their vacation, 57 percent indicate that colleagues insist on it, while 52 percent of their superiors list. In addition, 40 percent see customers' expectations as the reason for their decision -making.

Availability also differs between different professional groups: 87 percent of the self -employed can be reached on vacation, while the proportion of employees is 63 percent. When asked how to keep in touch, the results show a clear preference for certain communication channels. 66 percent of the respondents mainly react to short messages, followed by calls (63 %). In addition, 27 percent can be reached by email, 17 percent take part in video calls and 8 percent use collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams or Slack.

responsibility of employers

dr. Bernhard Rohleder, General Manager of Bitkom, emphasizes that it is the responsibility of the employer to set clear regulations for accessibility. This could help to defuse the area of ​​tension between professional requirements and the need for relaxation during vacation.

Overall, the survey raises interesting questions about the boundaries between professional and private life and shows that the willingness to be accessible on vacation is strongly pronounced. This could bring both opportunities and challenges for the work-life balance of the employees.