For some, the outcomes are not always positive. One British man, who asked to remain anonymous, reveals: “Working in PR means that there never seems to be an appropriate time to turn off, and my company is structured in a way that isn’t great for being able to switch off while taking holiday. 

“Members of staff texted me while on holiday multiple times to sort things out, which meant I could never fully relax. The people I was with were quite rightly annoyed that I was feeling stressed and having to check emails while away.”

Dating coach and relationship expert Kate Mansfield has many clients suffering in their relationships due to one half of the couple insisting on working while away. “We are seeing blurred lines and an increase in relationship conflicts with a confusion between when we are ‘on’ at work, and when we are ‘off’ in terms of downtime,” she said.

“If one partner is preoccupied with work, it can lead to feelings of neglect in the other partner, causing resentment… Holidays are meant for bonding and relaxation. If work intrudes, it diminishes the time available for meaningful interactions.”

Why we should be more French about holidays – and ignore American habits

We are not the only nation that struggles to switch off. A recent study by the Movchan Agency found that 54 per cent of Americans work while on holiday and 63 per cent say they feel “anxious” if they don’t check their work emails while away.

Britons are also not alone in failing to take their full annual leave allocation. According to Expedia’s 24th annual Vacation Deprivation Report, more than half of Americans don’t take their full allowance, despite receiving on average just 12 days off per year – the top reason being that “life is too busy to plan or go on vacation”. A separate study, published in 2018 by the US Travel Association, found that US workers fail to take time off out of fear of “looking replaceable”, with heavy workloads, lack of cover and pets also factors.

The Expedia report found that Japanese workers are also unlikely to take their full allowance (on average, workers take just 12 days per year), although they are better at taking advantage of national holidays to go on shorter breaks throughout the year. 

On the flipside, the French take the most days off of any country globally. According to the Expedia report, French workers spread their holiday days evenly throughout the year in shorter getaways, rather than saving up for a big trip. The French believe time off is a basic right, according to 93 per cent of respondents, compared with 83 per cent of Americans, and that it’s critical to health and wellbeing. Indeed, Paris more or less shuts down in August.