Workers who are getting ready for a four-day weekend next week have been issued a warning.

With many employees getting Good Friday and Easter Monday off work, an extended weekend is typically something to be anticipated with pleasure.

However, this can bring enormous pressure to complete everything before clocking off.

According to recruitment technology company Oleeo, the issue isn't simply workload, it's how individuals manage time off. Charles Hipps, founder and CEO of Oleeo, says: "Short weeks often create a false sense of urgency.

"People try to tie up every loose end before they leave, but that usually means they go into the break stressed, and come back to even more to deal with.

"There's no such thing as 'finishing' work before a break, only deciding where you pause it. The problems start when people chase a false finish that doesn't really exist."

He says one of the greatest concerns is that work doesn't completely switch off simply because you're out of office, adding: "People mentally carry unfinished tasks over a break.

"Even if you're not working, part of your attention is still on what's waiting for you when you get back. That's why it's so important to properly switch off, otherwise you never really get the benefit of the time away."

Here are his top tips for switching off and genuinely enjoying the long Easter weekend

"You want to treat your last day like a 'clear space', not a normal work day," he advises. "Filling your final day with meetings is where a lot of people go wrong. You need time to close things down properly, otherwise you're just pausing mid-task.

"Another good tip is to swap your to-do list for a 'restart list'. It might sound like a small change, but instead of listing everything left unfinished, you focus on what actually matters when you come back. A long to-do list creates pressure, a restart list gives you a clear way back in.

"Think of it like closing open tabs in your brain. Unsent emails, half-finished tasks or unclear handovers tend to linger. Unfinished work quietly drains your attention, even when you're trying to switch off.

"Don't aim for a 'perfect finish'. Trying to get completely on top of everything before a break often creates more stress than it solves. The goal isn't to finish more work, it's to reduce uncertainty about what happens next.

"Be explicit about what won't happen. A lot of people avoid doing this, but setting clear boundaries before you leave reduces follow-ups while you're away. People often communicate what they've done, but not what they're leaving, and that's where confusion comes from."

How to avoid being overwhelmed when you return to work

For many individuals, the first instinct after a long weekend is to check their inbox - but Hipps says that's where stress begins. "Most people come back, open email, and immediately feel behind. It puts you into reaction mode before you've had a chance to think."

Instead, he recommends: "Start with your restart list, not your inbox. Go back to what you decided actually mattered, that gives you control from the first hour.

"Scan for priority, don't read everything. You're not trying to catch up on every message, just work out what's important and what can wait.

"Create a quick 'first win'. Completing one meaningful task early helps reset momentum. It sounds small, but it changes how the whole day feels.

"Give yourself space before filling your calendar. If your first morning is wall-to-wall meetings, you never really catch up, you just stay in that reactive cycle."

Hipps says as workloads grow and boundaries blur, how individuals handle time off is becoming more crucial.

"Technology means work is always there in the background," he says. "So people have to be more deliberate about how they step away from it, and how they come back. Time off shouldn't feel like something you have to recover from. If you approach it properly, it should actually make work easier."