Vacation dilemma: Three out of four PR professionals are permanently available

"I'm not available" - only 24 percent of communications professionals in Switzerland and Germany take this complete time off from work. According to News Aktuell's PR Trendmonitor, a large majority of 76 percent are permanently available to their superiors and colleagues even during their career break.

Thus, the work cell phone remains switched on in most cases and is one of the most frequent communication channels. Almost half of the respondents (48 percent) state that they can be reached by their company via SMS, WhatsApp or other messenger services. As many as 39 percent respond to e-mails, and 38 percent answer the phone.

However, the results also show that PR professionals only proactively contact the company in isolated cases. Only one in eight respondents (13 percent) actively write e-mails, only 9 percent actively contact the company via short messages, and 5 percent call the office to actively inquire whether there were any problems during their absence.

Team spirit in the foreground

The survey results also shed light on the motivation and team spirit of communications professionals. Asked about the reasons for being available during their vacations, 70 percent say they want to help colleagues in emergencies. A good third of respondents explicitly want to be available for the team (37 percent). Another 23 percent state that they have to continue working on important projects during their vacation.

Only 10 percent cite any expectations on the part of superiors as a reason. Colleagues are even less likely to demand availability (3 percent). 5 percent are available during their vacation so that they don't miss any important news in their absence. Career, meanwhile, is not a reason: Just 1 percent state that being permanently available during the vacations could actually be beneficial for career advancement.

How do PR pros feel about being accessible to their company during the vacations?

• I can be reached via SMS/WhatsApp/Messenger services 48%
• I can be reached by e-mail 39%
• I can be reached by phone 38%
• I actively write emails 13%
• I am actively reporting via SMS/WhatsApp/Messenger services 9%
• I am actively calling the office 5%
• I am not available 24%

Why are PR professionals available during the vacations?

• To help in emergencies 70%
• I want to be responsive to my team 37%
• Important projects I need to continue working on 23%
• My supervisor or manager expects it 10%
• I do not want to miss anything 5%
• My colleagues expect it 3%
• Beneficial for my career 1%

For the "PR Trend Monitor" by News Aktuell and PER, an online survey was conducted in February 2023 among 297 communications professionals from companies, organizations and PR agencies in Switzerland and Germany. For the results above, the survey asked how the communications industry feels about being reachable during their vacations and for what reasons they are reachable.