Chief financial officers (CFOs) work an average of seven hours each weekend, according to a new survey. Nearly one-quarter of survey respondents say they do not work at all on Saturdays and Sundays.
Sixty-eight per cent of executives say they rarely or never take projects with them on vacation.
The survey was developed by Accountemps, a temporary staffing firm. It includes responses from 270 Canadian CFOs with more than 20 employees.
CFOs were asked, "On average, how many hours, if at all, do you spend working each weekend?"
Their responses:
None - 23%
1-2 hours - 5%
3-4 hours - 29%
5-6 hours - 19%
7-9 hours - 9%
10-14 hours - 9%
More than 15 hours - 6%
The average response was seven hours.
CFOs were also asked, "How often do you take work with you on vacation?"
Their responses:
Never - 49%
Rarely - 19%
Sometimes - 16%
Always - 16%
"Technology is making it easier than ever for busy professionals to work around the clock. E-mail and remote access to company networks allow executives to remain in contact with the office from anywhere at any time," said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Managing Your Career For Dummies.
But, Messmer added, "While a strong work ethic is certainly key to climbing the corporate ladder, allowing your job to monopolize too much of your personal and family time can lead to increased stress and risk of burnout."
"Taking a break is essential to ‘recharging’ and bringing a fresh approach to business projects and challenges," Messmer said.
Sixty-eight per cent of executives say they rarely or never take projects with them on vacation.
The survey was developed by Accountemps, a temporary staffing firm. It includes responses from 270 Canadian CFOs with more than 20 employees.
CFOs were asked, "On average, how many hours, if at all, do you spend working each weekend?"
Their responses:
None - 23%
1-2 hours - 5%
3-4 hours - 29%
5-6 hours - 19%
7-9 hours - 9%
10-14 hours - 9%
More than 15 hours - 6%
The average response was seven hours.
CFOs were also asked, "How often do you take work with you on vacation?"
Their responses:
Never - 49%
Rarely - 19%
Sometimes - 16%
Always - 16%
"Technology is making it easier than ever for busy professionals to work around the clock. E-mail and remote access to company networks allow executives to remain in contact with the office from anywhere at any time," said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Managing Your Career For Dummies.
But, Messmer added, "While a strong work ethic is certainly key to climbing the corporate ladder, allowing your job to monopolize too much of your personal and family time can lead to increased stress and risk of burnout."
"Taking a break is essential to ‘recharging’ and bringing a fresh approach to business projects and challenges," Messmer said.
