One in six employees suffers from ‘holiday stress’, the Telegraaf reports on Wednesday.

It cites research from the union CNV Vakmensen among 1,900 workers, claiming that a sixth experience stress related to holiday periods. Most problems are caused by school holidays, when firms keep on functioning, and leave may need to be requested six months before the summer break.

‘It’s about give and take, and requires consultation with colleagues and managers,’ says CNV Vakmensen chairman Piet Fortuin in a press release. ‘There’s often also another working partner, experiencing the same circus. It really is a puzzle to sort it all out. Mostly it happens harmoniously, but for one in six employees, it really is a song and dance. I call this holiday stress.’

CNV Vakmensen surveyed 1,962 people, most part of a panel of members and some via Facebook in June 2017. Almost two-fifths said they couldn’t take holiday leave when they liked, and women seemed to have more ‘holiday stress’ than men: 24% of women sometimes or always experienced problems, compared with 13% of men.

Meanwhile, a third of people have had holidays denied, although Fortuin claims that employers ‘are very quick to hide behind [the excuse of] “major business needs”’ and encourages employees in doubt to consult his union about their rights.

The union also raises the issue of compulsory holidays, which might mean paying more for travel, and divisions amongst those with and without children. More than half of respondents thought that people with children of school age had first choice of breaks.

On the plus side, working too much may have one fortunate side effect, according to new CBS/TNO research reported by NOS on Wednesday: you are apparently less likely to be sick.