This is a little distressing. I'm back from a week in France myself so I understand how the people in the Mail on Sunday article here might be feeling. The story reports one in five people would be willing to cut short or even cancel their holidays if work demanded they do so.
Small business owner/managers feel it particularly badly. The holiday season starts, they feel they ought to go away and then they worry about the business - so they end up not going away after all.
This can't be right, though, can it? Only last month I drew your attention to a report on the BBC about long hours inducing health risks.
It's worth looking at the way in which the French have operated traditionally. It's dying off now, particularly in the cities, but they had this idea of starting work very early, knocking off for lunch at 12 and then starting again at around 2.30. Yes, they worked late but it didn't matter because you'd have seen your family for a decent meal at around midday (which is a better time to eat your main meal anyway).
It's fading now, across the channel, because everyone's moving towards an imported "work first" mode. Everyone knows it doesn't work properly but nobody's prepared to stand up to it. Personally I thoroughly enjoyed my break and didn't write a single word - I only hope that doesn't make me unique.
Any Business Insight readers care to 'fess up to a summer ruined by their work ethic?
