Anybody who works a job five days a week knows the value of weekends, holidays, and those nights where you’re finally done with work and get to relax. They’re the little joys in life that many would lament having to give up. Yet as a consequence of the growing ever-connected, work-where-you-want environment, many find themselves spending time dealing with work e-mail when they’re off the clock.

According to a survey from Opinion Matters and GFI Software, in which 500 employees of small and mid-sized businesses in the U.K. were questioned, work has begun creeping into home lives. Three-fourths of the respondents check their work e-mail on weekends, over half while on vacation, and slightly less than half continue to check work e-mail even after midnight.

Not only that, but people have begun checking work e-mails at times when it would normally be considered inappropriate, such as while at a child’s school event, a wedding, or even during the birth of their child. Admittedly, those are small percentages, at 7.5, 10, and 6.3 percent respectively, but it’s still somewhat shocking to imagine.

When it comes to communicating in-office, e-mail is by far the most popular. While a quarter of those surveyed still prefer face-to-face conversations, and nearly as many preferring phone calls, nearly half the respondents use e-mail more than anything else for communicating. Instant messaging, on the other hand, is dwarfed by the others, with only 2.6 percent preferring it to the others.

Yet in spite of all that, e-mail is still considered a positive. Although it can bring stress, spam, and an overflow of messages that make their way into time off the clock, it is considered a good thing to have, given all that it does for business communication.

E-mail is being used similarly in the United States. According to Forbes, more than half of employees continue to receive business e-mails at all times, including weekends and after hours. Just as many workers will make business calls during dinner. Fortunately, there are those who understand that there are boundaries, and personal time must be respected, but some feel that there’s nothing wrong with sending an e-mail to someone on vacation.

Although work e-mail overflowing into one’s life can be understandable, that doesn’t mean it’s desirable to everyone. There are those who value their time off, their evenings, and their weekends, and receiving important e-mail during that time can be a source of frustration. Of course, there are also the workaholics who are always on the clock, and more than willing to communicate about work no matter where or when they are. It’s a matter of personal preference, which should be respected whether they want to always remain connected or wish to enjoy their weekends in peace.