More than a quarter of employees (27%) expect they will respond to work emails over Christmas as many find it difficult to take a break over the festive period, the latest Workhuman Human Workplace Index has found.

Some 22% of employees said they would not be able to fully switch off from work over Christmas, and 28% said their large workload would prevent them from taking as much time off as they would like over the holidays.

The survey of 1,000 full-time employees in Ireland was commissioned by Workhuman and conducted by Pollfish to gain insights into attitudes and expectations around Christmas.

Many employees find this time of year stressful and expect to spend an average of €974 on Christmas gifts this year.

More than half of employees (54%) responded that they feel stressed out about buying gifts, but nearly a quarter of employees saying they will buy presents for up to 10 people.

The majority of employees who receive end-of-year bonuses are using them to pay for Christmas presents, with 27% of respondents who receive end-of-year bonuses saying they are essential for affording Christmas presents.

Despite this, over half (51%) of respondents would prefer to receive smaller spot bonuses throughout the year rather than one larger lump sum at the end of the year.

Two-thirds of employees (66%) would like to use points from an employee recognition programme to buy gifts.

Employees are using Workhuman’s recognition platform in this way, with smartwatches, air fryers and headphones among the top purchases.

When it comes to gifting trends in the workplace, 44% of employees receive Christmas gifts from their colleagues and 27% do a ‘Secret Santa’ at work.

Some 32% get presents from their employer or manager and, of these, 95% say they usually, or always, like them. However, 12% admitted they usually re-gift them to someone else.

"Our research has shown that while this is an exciting time of year, it can also be a stressful one. Financial, familial, and professional pressures can impact employees over the holiday season," said Niamh Graham, senior vice president of global human experience at Workhuman.

"When done right, company culture can help to alleviate some of this stress, rather than being a cause of it. Ensuring employees are using their paid time off and have a solid coverage plan so they can truly unplug over the holidays is a practice leadership should demonstrate and encourage.

“Employee experience initiatives can also help get at some of this stress; spot bonuses and redeemable recognition points can be particularly meaningful for employees, especially as this is also the Season of Giving and a great time to show gratitude for others in your organisation, building up a supportive company culture.”

(Pic: Getty Images)