Most breaks now appear to be working holidays, considering the lengths people go to to take the office with them, according to a survey.
As many as 86% of Britons who are seasoned travellers take a work mobile phone away with them, while 40% take a laptop.
Also, 90% admit to working or checking or sending business emails in the evenings while away, the poll by Ipsos and Accor hotel’s Pullman brand showed.
Britons were among 2,252 travellers from seven countries who were questioned. All were between 25 and 65 and stayed in mid-range and upmarket hotels while away.
A total of 73% of the Britons worked during their holidays and 40% checked their emails in bed before going to sleep.
When asked why business blurred into leisure, 62% of Britons said their role required a high level of involvement, while 28% wanted to show commitment and 14% justified it by saying that everyone at work did it.
As many as 82% of Britons felt obligated to work out of hours, but only 60% felt it would facilitate professional development. In contrast, as many as 83% of the Brazilians and 92% of the Chinese travellers surveyed believed out-of-hours working helped their career development.
As a result, 72% of Britons felt work devices impacted on their personal life, with 51% feeling guilty for not spending as much time as they would like with loved ones and 27% were rebuked by loved ones for not switching off.
Consequently, 13% of those questioned found themselves hiding their out-of- office activities from loved ones.
Pullman global marketing senior vice-president Xavier Louyot said: “The concept of a 9-5 job is quickly becoming a thing of the past. The need to remain connected to both business and leisure lifestyles has led to a dependence on technology.”