Workers say summer break is fun until it’s over

People often look forward to a summer vacation, but for many, returning to work is a drag.

A survey of 597 office workers by employment portal site JobKorea found that more than 80 percent had a difficult time adjusting to work after returning from a holiday.

Among them, 74 percent reported feeling listless and having low work morale, while 68.1 percent said they also felt fatigue. Participants were able to provide multiple answers.

Some even reported suffering from insomnia, headaches and cold symptoms after going back to work from a break.

“I had some good peaceful time with my family, but going back to work right away was quite painful,” said Cho Eun-sun, a post office worker. “I think I even made some mistakes during the first week back from vacation.”

According to the survey, it takes an average 2.8 days to recover from a vacation.

“I agree it takes some time to fully focus back at work after some time off,” said Jang Na-ri, a worker at an architectural design firm who recently returned from a holiday. “But I think it takes less time as work experience builds.” Jang has been at her job for seven years.

When JobKorea asked survey participants how they ease back into their daily routine after a trip, some recommended spending at least a day at home before going back to work. They also suggested maintaining consistent sleep hours to minimize fatigue.

Still, some survey participants said they felt rejuvenated after a vacation and performed at work better.

About 20 percent of respondents answered that they saw no negative effects after a holiday and felt refreshed when returning to work.

BY KIM JEE-HEE [kim.jeehee@joongang.co.kr]