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Vacation (after-) effects on employee health and well-being, and the role of vacation activities, experiences and sleep

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  • Jessica Bloom
  • Sabine Geurts
  • Michiel Kompier

Abstract

Most vacations seem to have strong, but rather short-lived effects on health and well-being (H&W). However, the recovery-potential of relatively long vacations and the underlying processes have been disregarded. Therefore, our study focused on vacations longer than 14 days and on the psychological processes associated with such a long respite from work. In the present study, we investigated (1) how health and well-being (H&W) develop during and after a long summer vacation, (2) whether changes in H&W during and after vacation relate to vacation activities and experiences and (3) whether changes in H&W during and after vacation relate to sleep. Fifty-four employees reported their H&W before, three or four times during and five times after vacation. Vacations lasted 23 days on average. Information on vacation experiences, work-related activities and sleep was collected during vacation. Vacation activities were assessed immediately after vacation. H&W increased quickly during vacation, peaked on the eighth vacation day and had rapidly returned to baseline level within the first week of work resumption. Vacation duration and most vacation activities were only weakly associated with H&W changes during and after vacation. Engagement in passive activities, savoring, pleasure derived from activities, relaxation, control and sleep showed strong relations with improved H&W during and to a lesser degree after vacation. In conclusion, H&W improved during long summer vacations, but this positive effect was short-lived. Vacation experiences, especially pleasure, relaxation, savoring and control, seem to be especially important for the strength and persistence of vacation (after-) effects. Copyright The Author(s) 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Jessica Bloom & Sabine Geurts & Michiel Kompier, 2013. "Vacation (after-) effects on employee health and well-being, and the role of vacation activities, experiences and sleep," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 613-633, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:14:y:2013:i:2:p:613-633
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-012-9345-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Aiste Dirzyte & Aleksandras Patapas & Aidas Perminas, 2022. "Associations between Leisure Preferences, Mindfulness, Psychological Capital, and Life Satisfaction," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-26, March.
    2. Philipp Schlemmer & Cornelia Blank & Martin Schnitzer, 2019. "Does Physical Activity during Alpine Vacations Increase Tourists’ Well-Being?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-14, May.
    3. Liang, Zeng-Xian & Hui, Tak-Kee, 2016. "Residents’ quality of life and attitudes toward tourism development in China," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 56-67.
    4. de Bloom, Jessica & Ritter, Simone & Kühnel, Jana & Reinders, Jennifer & Geurts, Sabine, 2014. "Vacation from work: A ‘ticket to creativity’?," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 164-171.
    5. Gonzalo Díaz-Meneses & Miriam Estupinán-Ojeda, 2022. "The Outbreak of Digital Detox Motives and Their Public Health Implications for Holiday Destinations," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-24, January.
    6. Miyakawa, Erika & Pearce, Philip L. & Oguchi, Takashi, 2022. "Savoring tourism: Exploring basic processes," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    7. Zins, Andreas H. & Ponocny, Ivo, 2022. "On the importance of leisure travel for psychosocial wellbeing," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    8. Wang, Suosheng, 2017. "Leisure travel outcomes and life satisfaction: An integrative look," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 169-182.
    9. Thomas Hofmarcher, 2021. "The effect of paid vacation on health: evidence from Sweden," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 34(3), pages 929-967, July.
    10. Proeschold-Bell, Rae Jean & Molokwu, Nneka Jebose & Keyes, Corey L.M. & Sohail, Malik Muhammad & Eagle, David E. & Parnell, Heather E. & Kinghorn, Warren A. & Amanya, Cyrilla & Vann, Vanroth & Madan, , 2019. "Caring and thriving: An international qualitative study of caregivers of orphaned and vulnerable children and strategies to sustain positive mental health," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 143-153.
    11. Pauline A. Hendriksen & Lizanne Arnoldy & Joris C. Verster, 2022. "State Neuroticism at Home and in Fiji: The Positive Effects of Having a Holiday to Reset Mind and Brain," Tourism and Hospitality, MDPI, vol. 3(4), pages 1-7, September.
    12. Randle, Melanie & Zhang, Ye & Dolnicar, Sara, 2019. "The changing importance of vacations: Proposing a theoretical explanation for the changing contribution of vacations to people’s quality of life," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 154-157.
    13. Pengfei Wang & Xiang Wei & Diancheng Hu & Fang Meng, 2022. "Does Leisure Contribute to the Improvement of Individual Job Performance? A Field Tracking Study Based on the Chinese Manufacturing Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-17, May.
    14. José González & Almudena López-López & Miriam Alonso-Fernández & Noelia Ciudad & Borja Matías-Pompa & Bernardo Moreno-Jiménez, 2014. "Fatigue as Moderator of the Relationship Between Personality and the Affective Dimensions of Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(6), pages 1363-1376, December.
    15. Philipp Schlemmer & Cornelia Blank & Bartosz Bursa & Markus Mailer & Martin Schnitzer, 2019. "Does Health-Oriented Tourism Contribute to Sustainable Mobility?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-15, May.
    16. Ali Fakih, 2018. "What Determines Vacation Leave? The Role Of Gender," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(1), pages 1-19, January.
    17. Lin, Zhibin & Chen, Ye & Filieri, Raffaele, 2017. "Resident-tourist value co-creation: The role of residents' perceived tourism impacts and life satisfaction," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 436-442.
    18. Lengyel, Attila, 2016. "Tourism, meditation, sustainability," APSTRACT: Applied Studies in Agribusiness and Commerce, AGRIMBA, vol. 10(1), pages 1-11, March.
    19. Ralf C. Buckley, 2022. "Sensory and Emotional Components in Tourist Memories of Wildlife Encounters: Intense, Detailed, and Long-Lasting Recollections of Individual Incidents," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-12, April.
    20. Gill, Chelsea & Packer, Jan & Ballantyne, Roy, 2019. "Spiritual retreats as a restorative destination: Design factors facilitating restorative outcomes," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    21. Kirillova, Ksenia & Wang, Dan, 2016. "Smartphone (dis)connectedness and vacation recovery," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 157-169.

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