Survey on "Performance and Switching Techniques After Long Holidays" for Full-time Employees in their 20s and 30s
Jaic Co., Ltd. conducted a survey targeting full-time employees in their 20s and 30s, revealing that over half feel their work performance declines after long holidays, with 'difficulty concentrating' and 'trouble waking up for work' being prominent issues. Over half reported taking measures such as 'readjusting daily routines in advance'.
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- 📰 Published: May 7, 2026 at 18:40
- 🔍 Collected: May 7, 2026 at 10:01
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Jaic Co., Ltd., which develops corporate education and training businesses and recruitment support businesses, announces the results of an anonymous survey conducted on full-time employees in their 20s and 30s regarding "Performance and Switching Techniques After Long Holidays" (137 respondents, survey period: April 7, 2026 - April 16, 2026).
■ Over half responded that "work performance after long holidays is lower than usual."
When asked, "To what extent do you feel your work performance (efficiency and quality) after long holidays is compared to usual?", 13.0% responded "significantly lower than usual (less than 50%)", 41.2% responded "somewhat lower than usual (50-80%)", 45.8% responded "almost no change", and 0% responded "higher than usual". Combining "significantly lower than usual (less than 50%)" and "somewhat lower than usual (50-80%)", it was found that over half of full-time employees in their 20s and 30s feel their performance after long holidays is lower than usual.
Survey on "Performance and Switching Techniques After Long Holidays" for Full-time Employees in their 20s and 30s / Jaic
■ Issues felt after long holidays:
1st place: "Difficulty maintaining concentration", 2nd place: "Cannot wake up in the morning / difficult to go to work"
When asked, "Please select all that apply regarding the issues you feel after long holidays", "difficulty maintaining concentration" was 38.2%, "cannot wake up in the morning / difficult to go to work" was 36.6%, "lack of motivation, delayed start of work" and "no particular issues" were both 27.5%, "cannot recall work procedures or passwords" was 18.3%, "increase in mistakes or oversights" was 17.6%, and "other" was 6.1%.
Survey on "Performance and Switching Techniques After Long Holidays" for Full-time Employees in their 20s and 30s / Jaic
■ Measures taken to improve work performance after long holidays:
Over half responded, "readjust daily routines in advance."
When asked, "Are there any measures you take to improve your work performance after long holidays? Please select all that apply", "readjust daily routines in advance" was 52.7%, "start with light tasks" was 42.0%, "create a To-Do list" was 25.2%, "refrain from overtime and go home early" was 24.4%, "switch gears by talking with colleagues" was 20.6%, and "other" was 12.2%.
Survey on "Performance and Switching Techniques After Long Holidays" for Full-time Employees in their 20s and 30s / Jaic
■ Routines for switching to 'work mode' after long holidays (free description - partial excerpt)
When asked, "Please tell us if you have any routines you follow to switch to 'work mode' after long holidays", the following responses were received:
▼ Adjusting daily routine and sleep
・Wake up and go to bed earlier the day before work than on work days.
・Go to bed at 9 PM the day before.
・Maintain a somewhat consistent daily routine even during long holidays.
▼ Work preparation and task visualization
・Summarize the To-Do list for the day.
・Finish all tasks, including low-priority ones, before the long holiday.
・Make a list of things to do after the long holiday.
・Set action goals, such as the number of business meetings.
・Recall work content the day before.
▼ Morning routine and commuting工夫
・Get into work mode with breakfast and miso soup.
・Start work after drinking coffee.
・Commute while listening to favorite songs.
・Walk from a slightly distant station to feel refreshed.
・Wake up a little earlier and prepare calmly.
▼ Mental and environmental switching
・Talk a lot with colleagues at work.
・Reward oneself (eat one candy, etc.) after completing a small task.
・Keep in mind to "adjust pace without overdoing it."
Regarding the results of this survey, our director, Kondo, stated the following:
"The period after long holidays such as Golden Week requires a lot of energy to switch from the extraordinary to the ordinary. This survey revealed that over half of young employees experience a decline in performance after holidays, with disturbances in physical and mental rhythms, such as 'difficulty concentrating' and 'difficulty waking up in the morning,' being particularly noticeable. On the other hand, it also showed that many young employees are proactively trying to switch back to 'work mode' through their own routines, such as 'readjusting daily routines in advance' and ensuring sufficient sleep the day before, and visualizing tasks.
In such situations, what is required of companies and managers is not merely mental care, but practical leadership to promote a 'smooth return to work.' Specifically, mechanisms such as having employees list 'tasks to prioritize after the holiday' before going on leave are effective. This helps prevent confusion after the long holiday and delays in initial response.
■ Over half responded that "work performance after long holidays is lower than usual."
When asked, "To what extent do you feel your work performance (efficiency and quality) after long holidays is compared to usual?", 13.0% responded "significantly lower than usual (less than 50%)", 41.2% responded "somewhat lower than usual (50-80%)", 45.8% responded "almost no change", and 0% responded "higher than usual". Combining "significantly lower than usual (less than 50%)" and "somewhat lower than usual (50-80%)", it was found that over half of full-time employees in their 20s and 30s feel their performance after long holidays is lower than usual.
Survey on "Performance and Switching Techniques After Long Holidays" for Full-time Employees in their 20s and 30s / Jaic
■ Issues felt after long holidays:
1st place: "Difficulty maintaining concentration", 2nd place: "Cannot wake up in the morning / difficult to go to work"
When asked, "Please select all that apply regarding the issues you feel after long holidays", "difficulty maintaining concentration" was 38.2%, "cannot wake up in the morning / difficult to go to work" was 36.6%, "lack of motivation, delayed start of work" and "no particular issues" were both 27.5%, "cannot recall work procedures or passwords" was 18.3%, "increase in mistakes or oversights" was 17.6%, and "other" was 6.1%.
Survey on "Performance and Switching Techniques After Long Holidays" for Full-time Employees in their 20s and 30s / Jaic
■ Measures taken to improve work performance after long holidays:
Over half responded, "readjust daily routines in advance."
When asked, "Are there any measures you take to improve your work performance after long holidays? Please select all that apply", "readjust daily routines in advance" was 52.7%, "start with light tasks" was 42.0%, "create a To-Do list" was 25.2%, "refrain from overtime and go home early" was 24.4%, "switch gears by talking with colleagues" was 20.6%, and "other" was 12.2%.
Survey on "Performance and Switching Techniques After Long Holidays" for Full-time Employees in their 20s and 30s / Jaic
■ Routines for switching to 'work mode' after long holidays (free description - partial excerpt)
When asked, "Please tell us if you have any routines you follow to switch to 'work mode' after long holidays", the following responses were received:
▼ Adjusting daily routine and sleep
・Wake up and go to bed earlier the day before work than on work days.
・Go to bed at 9 PM the day before.
・Maintain a somewhat consistent daily routine even during long holidays.
▼ Work preparation and task visualization
・Summarize the To-Do list for the day.
・Finish all tasks, including low-priority ones, before the long holiday.
・Make a list of things to do after the long holiday.
・Set action goals, such as the number of business meetings.
・Recall work content the day before.
▼ Morning routine and commuting工夫
・Get into work mode with breakfast and miso soup.
・Start work after drinking coffee.
・Commute while listening to favorite songs.
・Walk from a slightly distant station to feel refreshed.
・Wake up a little earlier and prepare calmly.
▼ Mental and environmental switching
・Talk a lot with colleagues at work.
・Reward oneself (eat one candy, etc.) after completing a small task.
・Keep in mind to "adjust pace without overdoing it."
Regarding the results of this survey, our director, Kondo, stated the following:
"The period after long holidays such as Golden Week requires a lot of energy to switch from the extraordinary to the ordinary. This survey revealed that over half of young employees experience a decline in performance after holidays, with disturbances in physical and mental rhythms, such as 'difficulty concentrating' and 'difficulty waking up in the morning,' being particularly noticeable. On the other hand, it also showed that many young employees are proactively trying to switch back to 'work mode' through their own routines, such as 'readjusting daily routines in advance' and ensuring sufficient sleep the day before, and visualizing tasks.
In such situations, what is required of companies and managers is not merely mental care, but practical leadership to promote a 'smooth return to work.' Specifically, mechanisms such as having employees list 'tasks to prioritize after the holiday' before going on leave are effective. This helps prevent confusion after the long holiday and delays in initial response.