IU Study: Summer Holidays Begin – But Recovery Remains Elusive

Erfurt, 23 June 2026 – In the first federal states the summer holidays will soon begin – for many employees the most important period of recuperation of the year. Yet many people fail to truly switch off even during their holidays. Work-related stress, constant availability, and the feeling of having to be reachable often extend well into leisure time. 

The study “Leisure Sickness: Exhausted Instead of Well Rested" by IU International University of Applied Sciences shows why recuperation is a challenge for many people: 

• More than half of the employees surveyed (54.4 per cent) state that availability outside working hours impairs their recovery.
• Around a third (33.5 per cent) feel obliged to remain reachable even during their leisure time – rising to 42.6 per cent among those under 25. 

Accordingly, the boundaries between professional and personal life are becoming blurred:

• Nearly half of respondents (47.4 per cent) check work-related emails or messages outside regular working hours.
• More than a third (36.7 per cent) do so even during their holidays.

“The figures show: many employees in Germany fail to find genuine recovery even during their holidays – they remain available, are therefore unable to switch off, become ill, and return exhausted. The phenomenon of leisure sickness makes it clear: those who are under sustained pressure can no longer use even the holiday period as a means of recuperation,” says Prof. Dr Stefanie André, Professor of Health Management at IU International University of Applied Sciences.

Leisure Time Is Valued – Yet Recovery Often Remains Out of Reach

Most employees are well aware of the importance of recovery: 94.1 per cent of respondents view their leisure time as a valuable opportunity to recharge and recuperate. At the same time, the IU study shows how difficult many find this in everyday life:

• 40.1 per cent state that their personal life does not provide sufficient recovery to meet the demands of their professional life.
• 38.4 per cent say that they are unable to switch off properly after work and focus on their leisure time.

“Recovery is not a luxury but a prerequisite for long-term health and performance. When employees struggle to mentally distance themselves from work even during their leisure time, the necessary recuperation to remain sustainably productive is often lacking. Holidays can have their health-promoting effect in particular when recovery is not limited to a few days off but is already supported in everyday life through regular periods of relief, psychological switching off, and well-developed recovery skills,” says André.

About the Study

The study “Leisure Sickness: Exhausted Instead of Rested” by IU International University of Applied Sciences examines the symptoms and causes of leisure sickness, the role of recovery as a counterbalance to work, and possible preventive measures. For the IU study, IU surveyed 2,004 people in Germany between the ages of 16 and 65 who are in employment, in a sample representative by age and gender. The survey was conducted between 24 January 2025 and 6 February 2025. The full study is available at: https://www.iu.de/en/research/studies/leisure-sickness/