UK workers missing out on holiday time

Workers in the UK are missing out on holiday time – with one in five (19%) not taking their full allowance.

This is according to the ‘2016 Vacation Deprivation’ study from travel website Expedia, which polled more than 9000 employed adults across 28 countries to compare holiday entitlement with the number of days taken and explore the reasons why discrepancies occur.

Brits received an average of 25 days’ holiday in 2016 – falling around the mid-point globally. However, one in five (19%) took less than their allotted quota. Work worries played a crucial role here, with a quarter of Brits (28%) being so busy that they can rarely use all of their allowance. A lack of money (14%) and wishing to carry over holiday (14%) are other top reasons.

As a result, two-fifths (43%) across the UK identify as being ‘vacation deprived’ and receiving fewer holiday days than they deserve. Side-effects include feeling more stressed (30%), less able to focus (22%) and even verbally lashing out at their poor co-workers (21%).

Expedia used data from its Vacation Deprivation survey to create a Work-Life Balance Index based on time in work versus time on holiday for each country. Those in Germany enjoy the best work-life balance, with the UK well behind, ranked 11th in the 23-country index.

Even when Brits manage to get out of the office, most don’t actually switch off from work commitments entirely. While we’re actually less obsessive than most other nations when it comes to checking work emails or voicemail, half of us (50%) will peek at least once over a week’s holiday. Meanwhile, one in seven (14%) even look once a day or more.

Workers and employers alike see the benefits of staff taking regular breaks – 92% of workers returned from holiday better rested, 91% were less stressed and 80% felt more focused on their work than before they left. However, nearly one in five (17%) will miss their break so much that they’ll book another within a week of being back in the office.

When it came to Brits, 40% of us would give up alcohol and social media to get an extra days’ holiday, with one in four of us considering giving up sex.

Alex Platts from Expedia said: “While hard graft is important in a job, it’s necessary to give yourself enough time off to refresh, take a step away and come back raring to go. That’s why it’s a shame that so many of us feel too busy to take all of our holiday days.

“Our research shows the positive effects that are felt by employees and businesses alike, so British workers shouldn’t feel too busy, worried, or guilty to take all of their time off. So if you’ve got any days left this year, now’s the last chance to take advantage and book yourself some time to de-stress.”