Did you get away for a well-deserved break over the holiday period? Did your boss try to get in touch while you were away?

An online YouGov poll commissioned by the mental health charity MIND has found that 24 per cent of workers said their employer had tried to contact them while they were away. The survey of over 1,250 employees highlights how the boundaries between work and life are becoming increasingly blurred.

The research also indicated that only half of respondents said that their manager respects that they have a life outside work, while nearly 3 in 10 (28 per cent) admitted that they often check work email outside of work.

MIND points out that we all need a good work/life balance to help unwind and stay mentally healthy. With stress now the leading cause of sickness absence in the UK, it’s in employers’ interests to ensure that they look after the wellbeing of their staff, says the charity.