On-site workers get worse 'Sunday scaries' than remote workers

"Like clockwork, 5 p.m. on a Sunday, flashes of unread emails and notifications for tomorrow's upcoming meetings start. Your shoulders tense, your stomach knots. You have a case of the Sunday scaries. This unsettling feeling is a form of anticipatory anxiety that creeps in as the weekend draws to a close and Monday looms with the responsibilities of the week ahead."

"Adobe Acrobat surveyed over 1,000 full-time employees and found 82% experience this sense of anxiety before the workweek even begins. For Gen Z respondents, that number creeps up to 94%. It also affects women more often than men. For 31%, the Sunday scaries start before 5 p.m. even hits. That's despite the fact that those affected spend 72 hours annually working on weekends to get ahead on the demands of the workweek."

"The scaries are set off by all types of reasons. Looming layoffs or signs of economic uncertainty can lead workers to feel anxious about the near future. Burnout is the main culprit for 55% of respondents, followed by high workloads (50%), project deadlines (33%) and toxic work environments (31%). Even admin-related tasks can add to the sense of dread, with organizing digital files or chasing down signatures mentioned by one in 15 respondents as triggers."

A large majority of workers experience anticipatory anxiety on Sundays, with Adobe Acrobat finding 82% affected and 94% of Gen Z reporting symptoms. Women report the Sunday scaries more often than men. Nearly one-third feel anxious before 5 p.m. on Sunday despite spending about 72 hours yearly working weekends to prepare. Primary triggers include burnout (55%), high workloads (50%), project deadlines (33%), toxic work environments (31%), and administrative tasks for some. Onsite workers report the scaries more frequently than remote workers, and many companies are increasing in-person work requirements.

Read at Fast Company