71% of US Workers Say it’s OK to Contact Them on Vacation
2011-06-08
Most US workers will not “unplug” from the office during their vacation this summer, according to a survey from Intermedia, a global leader in cloud services and the largest Microsoft Exchange hosting provider. According to the Intermedia Business Communications survey, conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Intermedia, 71 percent of respondents say it’s appropriate to contact them while on vacation.
Of course, no one wants to be completely intruded upon. If coworkers must connect with them, 32 percent say email is best, followed by 20 percent who said calling is preferred. The least appropriate is text messaging with only 18 percent stating it as their preferred method.
“What used to be reserved for the workaholics is now the norm,” says Manlio Carrelli, CMO, Intermedia. “With smartphone usage now mainstream and tablet usage on the way up, the wall between work and personal time is being broken down. Professionals can work from anywhere – including vacation. This isn’t necessarily about reducing personal time – it’s about workers having flexibility to get work done on their terms, inside and outside the office.”
Email as the preferred mode of communication is not only the case during vacation, but also when workers are in the office. Additionally, the survey indicates that phone calls – specifically voice messages – are passé. When asked their least favorite method of general communication with colleagues/business clients, 31 percent say voicemail is their least favorite, followed by instant messaging (29 percent), and texting (26 percent). US worker’s favorite means to communicate with coworkers and business contacts is email, according to 87 percent.
For tips on communicating with coworkers this summer, and info graphics representing the survey data, see Intermedia’s Resource Center.