New research from Hotels.com has revealed that relaxing on holiday should be easy, but more than half of British travellers (55%) find it hard to switch off from work and rely on their laptops and Blackberries to keep in contact with the office.

Hotels.com research has revealed that in tough economic times, people are finding it harder than ever to switch off, and want to feel they are at work even when they are not. On a one week break, Brits now spend the equivalent of one day in the office (seven hours on average) which means that just under a quarter of a billion hours are lost each year by travellers working when they are supposed to be relaxing on holiday.

The new research established that there are three types of holiday workers. Of those who admit to taking time out of their holidays to work, 26% are emergency browsers - checking in only to deal with urgent issues; another 24% are sun lounger surfers who check in with the office at least every other day; and 35% are compulsive mailers who feel the need to be in constant contact with the office, logging on at least once a day or more.

Hotels.com found that 60% of those who work on holiday are doing so for reasons relating to their job security. While 28% felt that beach emailing "saved time when back in the office" and 12% wanted to ensure their colleagues were coping without them. The rest admitted it had more to do with job security, citing reasons such as "I want the office to see that I'm passionate about my job".

According to The Work Foundation, 'holiday guilt' can be explained by the UK's long-hours culture which gives rise to insecurity and 'presenteeism'. It is perceived that being seen and heard will lead to promotion and job safety, whereas those away from the office might miss out. Checking in with the office and not trusting others to look after things in their absence can be seen as an effort to show that they are indispensable.

Alison Couper, Communications Director for Hotels.com, said: "Holidays are meant to be a time to relax and switch off from work. Designating a "blackberry hour", agreed with your partner, is one way of avoiding arguments but the ideal solution is to leave the office behind you and make the most of your holiday."