Boost Employee Engagement: Make Your Team Feel Valued | GBAF

Boost Employee Engagement: Make Your Team Feel Valued | GBAF

Editorial & Advertiser disclosure

Global Banking and Finance Review is an online platform offering news, analysis, and opinion on the latest trends, developments, and innovations in the banking and finance industry worldwide. The platform covers a diverse range of topics, including banking, insurance, investment, wealth management, fintech, and regulatory issues. The website publishes news, press releases, opinion and advertorials on various financial organizations, products and services which are commissioned from various Companies, Organizations, PR agencies, Bloggers etc. These commissioned articles are commercial in nature. This is not to be considered as financial advice and should be considered only for information purposes. It does not reflect the views or opinion of our website and is not to be considered an endorsement or a recommendation. We cannot guarantee the accuracy or applicability of any information provided with respect to your individual or personal circumstances. Please seek Professional advice from a qualified professional before making any financial decisions. We link to various third-party websites, affiliate sales networks, and to our advertising partners websites. When you view or click on certain links available on our articles, our partners may compensate us for displaying the content to you or make a purchase or fill a form. This will not incur any additional charges to you. To make things simpler for you to identity or distinguish advertised or sponsored articles or links, you may consider all articles or links hosted on our site as a commercial article placement. We will not be responsible for any loss you may suffer as a result of any omission or inaccuracy on the website.

Home > Business > UK workers dreading return to work after summer break, finds new study

UK workers dreading return to work after summer break, finds new study

Published by Gbaf News

Posted on October 4, 2019

3 min read

Last updated: January 21, 2026

UK employees feeling anxious about returning to work after summer break - Global Banking & Finance Review — This image highlights the anxiety faced by UK workers as they prepare to return to work after summer holidays, reflecting findings that indicate a need for employee appreciation to boost morale.

Research by Achievers confirms that making employees feel valued is best way to keep them engaged

At the time of the year when workers’ thoughts traditionally turn to the long stretch between the end of the holidays and Christmas, a survey* conducted by Achievers has revealed that over half of UK employees were dreading returning to work after their summer break.

Key reasons point to lack of ‘me’ time and not being able to ‘switch off’ while on holiday. Thirty-three per cent of the 1,000 survey respondents say they don’t get enough time to themselves while on holiday, while a quarter admit to worrying about work.

It’s no wonder that 42 per cent of employees surveyed admit that their stress levels will quickly return to their former intensity once they are back in the workplace.

However, the picture is not all doom and gloom as the Achievers research did uncover some positive findings. In an era characterised by high staff turnover and employees who are happy to move from job to job, close to two-thirds (61 per cent) of those surveyed claimed they either like or love their current role. A similar proportion of those surveyed are happy to stay in their present position, while only a fifth (21 per cent) have definite plans to leave.

What’s more, people feel energised by their summer holidays. While they may not be eager to return to work, on a positive note nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of those surveyed say they feel sufficiently refreshed by their time away.

One unmistakable finding from the survey was just how attached workers are to their summer break. The overwhelming majority (85 per cent) view their summer break as absolutely critical or very important to their overall wellbeing at work.

So what can employers do to negate the Autumn Blues and maintain their workforces’ motivation? According to a third of survey respondents, the answer is clear: make them feel valued and appreciated. This answer was the overwhelming winner, with the next most popular choice – having a more interesting job – selected by a fifth of those questioned.

“Although British workers don’t look forward to returning to work after their summer holidays, our research has shown that a large proportion of employees actually enjoy their jobs,” commented Denise Willett, General Manager at Achievers EMEA. “But the most interesting finding for employers is that the easiest way to keep their workforce engaged and motivated throughout the year is simply by taking the time to ensure they feel appreciated. Employee recognition platforms like those provided by Achievers are a simple and effective way to do this.”

Achievers recommends employers also consider more flexible summer work hours, where possible, and reinforce the importance of switching off during summer breaks by implementing initiatives such as peer recognition campaigns which thank holiday back-ups for covering for their colleagues.

Additional key findings from the research:

Only 4 per cent of workers actively hate their job.
To return to work with more enthusiasm, 20 per cent of the workforce surveyed would need a more interesting job while 19 per cent would like a more supportive working environment.
62 per cent of respondents say they’re not expected to check in with work while on holiday
64 per cent of workers claim they like to hear about their colleagues’ holidays and see their photos.