Newsflash: Dayforce Research Finds Employees are Out-of-Office but Not Offline this Holiday Season

Dayforce, Inc. (NYSE: DAY; TSX: DAY), a global human capital management (HCM) leader that makes work life better, today released a new survey revealing that full-time employees are heading into the holidays with a mix of enthusiasm, pressure, and productivity. 

Conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Dayforce, the survey of 2,567 employees in the U.S., Canada, and UK shows how holiday optimism is colliding with work, financial, and emotional strain. Nearly all employees (95%) get or plan to take time off over the holidays, but true disconnection remains elusive, with less than half of employees (42%) saying they will unplug completely. 

Ho-ho-hold my calls 

The survey revealed that nearly two-thirds (65%) of employees are looking forward to time off more this holiday season compared to last year. However, more than two-thirds (67%) of employees also say they feel pressure from their employer to be available during their time off over the holidays.  

That disconnect means while employees are stepping away, they aren’t fully disconnecting:
 

• Only 42% of employees say they unplug from work completely during holiday time off 

• More than a third (35%) of employees say they plan to work during their designated holidays because they are concerned about layoffs 

Merry but maxed out 

More than half of employees (52%) are more excited about celebrating the holidays this year compared to last, but employees say the holiday season also creates additional pressures, like gift-related costs (40%), family challenges (32%), and balancing work with personal commitments (26%).  

This holiday stress is taking a toll on employee well-being:
 

• More than half of employees (53%) say they feel more burnt out at work during the holidays than at other times during the year 

• Employees who say they will work during their holiday time off attribute it to needing to finish critical tasks (21%), wanting to 'get ahead' before going back to work in the new year (16%), and a fear of falling behind (15%) 

• The survey also found signs of economic uncertainty, as employees say they are feeling more stressed about spending money (55%) and more worried about potentially losing their job (31%) this year compared to last year. 

Mixing eggnog with upskilling 

While employees are looking forward to celebrating this holiday season, many are also planning to use their downtime to get prepared for 2026. Roughly two in five employees (41%) say they plan to use their holiday time off to focus on learning ways they can use AI at work. 

This curiosity reflects a broader skill-building mentality heading into the new year, as more than half (58%) of employees say they want to spend time learning new AI skills or tools to boost their productivity in the new year, potentially signalling an emerging “holiday upskilling” habit. 

Supporting employees through the holiday rush 

Despite many who stay connected during holiday time off, employees are clear about what they need: almost two-thirds (65%) say they feel the need to completely unplug from work during this time because they are tired and burned out.   

For organizations looking to create a culture where people feel empowered to take the time off, employers should:
 

1. Offer additional flexibility where possible: Employees say flexible work hours (36%), early finishes or closures (34%), and extended deadlines to complete tasks (15%) would make work less stressful during the holiday season. 
2. Set an example: While many workers don’t fully unplug during the holidays, employees say clear boundaries on communication (19%) and fewer meetings (18%) would help to reduce stress. 
3. Recognize and appreciate your teams: Nearly half (49%) of employees say a holiday bonus would help to reduce stress during the holiday season, but recognition beyond money matters, too: employees say appreciation from leadership (21%) and team celebrations or social events (17%) would reduce workplace stress as well. 

“After a year of momentous change, the holidays should be a time for people to pause and recharge, not feel pulled between celebration and workplace pressures,” said Amy Cappellanti-Wolf, Chief People Officer at Dayforce, Inc. “Organizations have a real opportunity, and responsibility, to lower the stress of their people and help them get the rest they need. When employers set clear boundaries, encourage flexibility, and model true downtime, they help create a culture where people feel safe taking the break they’ve earned and set the tone for a productive year ahead.” 

Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Dayforce from November 20 - 25, 2025 among 1,267 employees in the U.S., 597 employees in Canada and 703 employees in the UK.  The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval.  For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 3.4 percentage points in the U.S., 4.8 percentage points in Canada and 4.3 percentage points in the UK using a 95% confidence level. 

For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact nick.depass@dayforce.com. 

About Dayforce
Dayforce makes work life better. Everything we do as a global leader in HCM technology is focused on enabling thousands of customers and millions of employees around the world do the work they're meant to do. With our single AI-powered people platform for HR, Pay, Time, Talent, and Analytics, organizations of all sizes and industries are benefiting from simplicity at scale with Dayforce to help unlock their full workforce potential, operate with confidence, and realize quantifiable value. To learn more, visit dayforce.com. 

Media Contact
Nick de Pass
nick.depass@dayforce.com