Why workers need a full fortnight of festive hibernation

THE lengthy festive shutdown, which can see workers taking a two-week holiday over Christmas and New Year, is essential for stressed-out employees' well-being, says a Scots psychologist.

While business leaders have warned the extended break leads to more than 1 billion in lost productivity, mental health experts say the shutdown is essential to balance the pressures of the rest of the year.

In Edinburgh and Glasgow one in ten firms is expected to shut down completely for the festive break while more than 60 per cent of office staff will be away into the New Year.

Dr Mary Brown, of Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, said: "Many jobs now require more than they say in the job description with longer unpaid hours meaning there is less time for family and friends. Employers talk about work-life balance but very few insist that their employees do it.

"They know that during a recession, with all the job insecurity it brings, people don't want to be seen to be slacking.

"This puts a lot of pressure on employees which is made worse by the fact that the old last-in first-out rule of thumb about redundancies no longer applies.

"It now mostly comes down to appraisal data and sickness rates, meaning people clearly want to be seen to be committed to the organisation.

"Switching off at any opportunity can only be positive. Like all animals we feel a need to wind down, hibernate and restrict our movements at a time of year when there is not so much light and vitamin D which can have an effect on our mental energy."

The Federation of Small Businesses estimates more than four million staff are planning to stay away from work for the whole festive break, costing the UK economy approximately 1.2bn in lost productivity.

Colin Borland, spokesman for the Federation of Small Businesses in Scotland, said: "With Christmas and New Year falling on weekends followed by public holidays we are looking at some people having a huge break.

"Most employers now recognise that human beings work better if they have some downtime after intensive activity.

"However, for a small firm having two people off over this time represents half your workforce. Having them off for an extended period of time is not going to be practical."

Graham Bell, spokesman for the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said: "Grinding people into the dust doesn't produce results. I'm not really conscious of many employers with a poor attitude to holidays at this time of year.

"Time off is vital for everyone to do traditional things with their family.It is very restorative, even though for some it is not an equally happy experience and by the 26th they are spitting and would rather be back at work."

Jim Moohan, senior organiser of the GMB union in Scotland, said: "Often it is not cost effective to keep certain firms open over Christmas and New Year because a variety of skills are usually required for one project. You won't see an electrician without a plumber or a welder without a plater so it doesn't make sense to have half your workforce in and half out."