Offering employees the chance to learn new skills is a key way to boost post-holiday productivity, according to Investors in People research.

The study found that 60% of employees dread returning to work after holidays, and the IIP said that bosses don't seem to be helping.

Some 58% of respondents said they wanted their boss to show they care, including 44% who said that a simple "welcome back" would increase their motivation.

While 45% of employees said they would like management to offer them the opportunity to learn new skills.

Other findings of the research include:
* Only 25% of employees feel more enthusiastic about work than before they went away.
* 25% of employees cite a full in-tray or in-box as guaranteed to undermine their enthusiasm on the first day back in work.
* Only 38% of employees feel a holiday improves their performance at work.
* On returning from a break, 21% of employees book another holiday, 19% vow to leave work on time and 11% resolve to take a full lunch break.

Ruth Spellman, Chief Executive of Investors in People said: "You can understand employees' reluctance to return to the old routine, but it's less easy to see why bosses aren't reacting as their workforce wavers before their eyes… Employers must take action before eagerness for change leads to a determination to leave."