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ith summer just around the corner no doubt you expect people to be looking into their holiday options for this year. Whether it’s an all-inclusive beach break in Spain, or a hiking adventure in Chile, few will say they don’t come back to work feeling refreshed after a week or two away. It might come as a shock to you then, that a recent survey found 40% of workers in the UK rarely, or never, use their full annual leave entitlement, with people saying they are “too scared” or “too busy” to take their full allowance. “With a lot of businesses stretched to capacity it’s worrying to see that many individuals are not taking their entitled time off,” says behavioural psychologist Jo Hemmings. “Britain’s workforce should be encouraged to take regular time out to recharge their batteries. Taking a break from work and enjoying a holiday helps workers both mentally and physically, which really improves their productivity when they go back to work.” HOLIDAY HEALTH There are a number of benefits that holidays can bring – and I don’t just mean returning with a sun-kissed tan. A recent study by Kuoni Travel and Nuffield Health showed that holidaymakers’ ability to recover from stress, their sleep quality and blood pressure were significantly improved compared to their non-holidaying counterparts. Holidaymakers also showed reductions in their blood glucose levels, were in better shape, had higher energy levels and were in better moods than those who hadn’t gone away. “This study shows that holidays not only feel good, they actually help us to be healthier,” says psychotherapist Christine Webber. So what are the reasons for staff not taking all their holiday leave and how can this be addressed? According to a survey by Hilton Hotels and Resorts, the main reasons for people not taking holidays include running out of time to use it, worrying about judgement from colleagues, juggling busy workloads and difficulties fitting around other workers’ holidays. Fears about appearing to show lack of commitment to the job, being made redundant or colleagues taking credit for their work were also cited as explanations for not taking leave.
“Holidays not only feel good, they actually help us to be healthier” To tackle this, people must ensure they’re aware of how many days’ holiday they are entitled to and how they should go about taking them, especially if they are new in a workplace and aren’t sure of the process. People must be encouraged to take time off throughout the year so there isn’t a frantic rush to use up holiday allocation around Christmas. If you’re the office manager, it’s also a good idea to run a report of outstanding holiday leave a couple of months before the end of the year and to remind colleagues to book and take it. To keep workload pressures down while people are off, try to encourage your colleagues to take holidays at different times and make sure you discuss how their work will be covered while they’re away. This could involve bringing temporary or contract staff in so the rest of the office isn’t under too much strain, or simply arranging for their work to be covered by other staff members. So book some well-deserved time off throughout the year and, when you go, make sure you leave your laptop behind, remember to turn off your phone and most importantly of all … relax!
TOP TEN REASONS STAFF GIVE FOR NOT USING THEIR FULL HOLIDAY ENTITLEMENT • • • • • • • • • •
Ran out of time to use it Too busy to take it all Didn’t want to take that much time off work Too difficult to fit leave around other colleagues’ workloads/meeting schedules No reason to take time off Too difficult to fit leave around other colleagues’ time off Worried about losing job Didn’t feel like should take it all Frowned upon in the work place Worried about not looking committed to the job.