Between goose and group chat: Work mode during Christmas

Between goose and group chat.

A new Bitkom study shows that around 4 out of 10 employees remain available for work during their Christmas vacation – primarily in written form, for example via messenger and email. According to the study, only a narrow majority of 54% switch off completely during the holidays. There are particularly notable differences between the sexes: while 38% of men are available for work-related inquiries during their vacation, the proportion is even higher among women at 48%.

Although the proportion of people who can be reached during their Christmas vacation is declining overall—before the coronavirus pandemic, it was 71%—Bitkom advises clear agreements. After all, vacations should be for relaxation and not interrupted by messages on Slack, Teams, or Google Chat.

We were also interested in the following topics:

• Artificial intelligence: Germans have a nuanced view of the trend technology of our time, as a new survey highlights. It is striking that while almost half see AI as a threat to jobs, more than two-thirds of those surveyed are not concerned about their current job or their future career.

• Migrant economy: This term refers to all companies founded and run by migrants. The umbrella organization of migrant organizations in eastern Germany has compiled more insights and figures.

• Workbench instead of lecture hall: According to a new survey, practical professions are becoming increasingly popular among Gen Z. WirtschaftsWoche explains (€) why the younger generation is more likely to find themselves in manual trades than at an office desk.

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