Feeling anxious? You could have Out of Office panic

Returning to more work and feeling guilty about taking paid time off (PTO) are the most common reasons behind out-of-office anxiety for employees, a new study has revealed.

A study by SkyNova found that 48% of employees said coming back to more work is main cause of their out-of-office anxiety. Forty-two percent said they feel guilty, while 41% said creating more work for their team leave them anxious in taking their time offs.

Some 35% said they are concerned for looking like a bad worker, while 29% are wary of team resentment. Among the respondents, 21% said they are worried of being fired for asking for paid time off.

Meanwhile, when it comes to work situation, half of work-from-home employees experience low levels of anxiety for PTOs, 28% feel moderate anxiety, while 23% feel high levels of stress.

For hybrid workers, 44% experience low levels of anxiety, 35% experience moderate levels, while 21% experience high levels. For on-site workers, 44% also experience low levels of anxiety, 29% feel moderate levels, while 27% feel high levels.

In terms of company size, employees from small- and medium-sized companies feel high levels of stress when taking PTOs, accounting for 25% and 29%, respectively.

By generation, some 38% of employees from Generation X experience high levels of stress, 34% of Baby Boomers feel similar levels, and 22% of Millennials feel the same high rates of anxieties for PTOs.

The study also revealed that 57% of employees and 60% of managers agree that people should avoid taking PTOs during high workload periods.

Some 43% of managers and 39% of employees also believe that people should avoid taking PTOs when co-workers are out of office.