Is vacation stress a new work hazard?

U.S. workers find going on vacation stressful, especially when planning a departure or dealing with a return to the job, Harris Interactive said.

In a survey conducted for Randstad US on May 11-13, Harris found 77 percent of respondents indicated the most stressful part of vacation was the day they returned to work. The second biggest cause of vacation-related stress was the day they left for vacation.

It’s really a matter of organization and priority setting, said Eric Buntin, managing director for Randstad US in a statement.

Many of today’s employees may very well have more on their plates than ever before, but the pressure to pick up right where you left off before vacation is more times than not self-imposed, he said.

Buntin suggested workers go through emails on the last day of vacation to give themselves a head start on what they face when they return. Those with workers under them can ask for a status update on projects sent to them while they are away.

He also suggested getting to work early on the first day after a break and taking you boss out to lunch on day one, to get the low-down on what happened at work during the break.