Almost half of Polish employees say they experience burnout, most often due to excessive workload (33%) and insufficient pay (24%). According to a new survey, 53% take work home with them, 65% feel pressured to respond to work messages after hours, and as many as 27% admit they have worked while on vacation.
The findings come from the “Work-Life Balance of Poles” study conducted by the career platform LiveCareer.pl, which surveyed 501 Polish employees. The results raise serious concerns about physical and mental health as well as broader work culture in Poland.
Burnout, Overload, and Work During Vacations
Nearly one in four respondents (23%) said they do not feel they can take vacation without stress and concern about work duties. More than one in four (27%) admitted to working during holidays — most often because of a strong sense of responsibility (52%), unfinished tasks before leaving (26%), or because their managers expected them to remain available (24%).
Only 21% of respondents said they definitely have enough time to rest and recharge after work, and 34% said they “rather” do. One in eight admitted they cannot recover at all after working hours. Lack of rest is particularly common among employees aged 26–39 and those working in hybrid arrangements (19%).
Among those able to disconnect, the most common motivators were pursuing passions and personal goals (46%), spending time with loved ones (42%), and actively caring for mental health (36%) — especially among women. Nearly 30% of this group said they rest because it makes them more productive at work the next day.
“It seems that work-life balance depends both on employees’ individual motivation and on the conditions they operate in,” commented Żaneta Spadło, career expert at LiveCareer.pl and author of the study. “Studies in other countries show that well-developed childcare and family support systems reduce this conflict, though formal solutions are not always enough. Unequal division of household duties is also an issue — someone carrying more domestic responsibilities while working professionally will inevitably feel more exhausted. Poland is only now implementing some work-life balance measures: two years ago we adopted an EU directive, and in the coming months the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy will launch a pilot program to monitor the effectiveness of reduced working hours. The coming years will show whether these solutions work for Poles.”
Survey Highlights
The survey also found that:
- 19% of respondents actively care for their work-life balance, 45% do so occasionally, while 11% live mainly for work and lack private life.
- 72% know someone who has experienced burnout.
- 67% feel guilty when resting instead of working in their free time.
- 71% say they are judged by others based on professional engagement.
- 42% believe their managers do not encourage them to care about work-life balance.
The results underscore the growing pressure on Polish employees and the urgent need for systemic and organizational measures to prevent burnout and promote healthier work practices.
Source: CEO.com.pl
