Around 40 per cent of UK employees reported taking just half of their annual leave entitlement during the last holiday year, with the average employee taking just 62 per cent of their allowance.
Glassdoor surveyed 2,000 adults about their annual leave. It found that of those who did use it all, 23 per cent regularly checked emails and 15 per cent continued working through fear of falling behind.
“The fact that 40 per cent of us take a maximum of just half our holiday allowance and a significant amount feel they need to work while being away is not a good long-term solution and will only result in employees who may want to jump ship for greener pastures,” said John Lamphiere, Glassdoor’s Managing Director, EMEA.
The research showed that younger workers were least likely to take their full allowance, with only 35 per cent of 18–24-year-olds and 40 per cent of 25–34-year-olds taking between 91–100 per cent of their entitlement.
The findings also revealed that many employees fail to fully unwind on holiday. Just half of those polled said they could completely ‘check out’ from work and that there was ‘no expectations to be reachable’. However, 20 per cent were expected to be contactable and nearly a quarter of young employees (aged 18–24) claimed their bosses regularly contacted them while they were away.
“Employees need to have candid conversations with their managers about how they can achieve a better work-life balance and book their remaining time now to avoid burn out further down the line,” added Lamphiere.
