54% of Brits don’t use all of their holiday allowances

54% of Brits aren’t using their full holiday allowance according to new data from tombola. A survey of the nation exposed the depth of the problem, with respondents citing that they are too busy at work or don’t have anywhere to go as their top reasons for not taking their breaks.

 

Are you one of the 54% of Brits not taking your full holiday allowance?

Almost a quarter of us are working at least 1 unpaid week each year

The survey also found that 23% ended their last working year with more than 5 days holiday not taken, meaning that they were effectively working those days for free. Our survey also found that only 24% of us take a break that lasts between 6 and 10 days in one go and 20% take 3 days or less.

 

This is concerning because evidence now shows that holidays could extend your life, especially longer breaks and should be taken as seriously as following an active lifestyle and a healthy diet.

We’re being ‘holiday shamed’ – A quarter of Brits feel guilty taking holidays

Shockingly, a quarter of us feel guilty for taking our rightfully earned breaks, saying that the culture of the office or workplace was responsible.

Is your office coming on holiday with you?

Even when we do manage to get away, the office sometimes comes on holiday with us. 33% of respondents said that they were contacted by their workplace whilst on holiday and 44% said they have at some point checked their emails when away.

The digital world has made our lives more connected in many ways. An “office” can now be anytime, anyplace. All you need is an internet connection and you’re immediately accessible. While this brings with it a lot of benefits, it can be hard to ‘switch off’ and truly relax.

In an OECD report from 2017, the top 3 most productive countries in the world all work somewhere between 27 – 31 hours a week with between 4 and 5 weeks of paid leave, proving that fewer hours and more holidays is better for productivity.

Productivity was calculated by dividing each country’s GDP by the average number of hours worked annually, by all employed workers. This includes full and part time workers. Data correct as of 31st Jan 2019.  See OECD.org for more details.

Are Brits working for free?

As we said earlier, 23% of those in our survey admitted to losing out on more than 5 days holiday, but 33% of respondents also said that they had been contacted while on holiday from their workplace. Whatever interaction comes from this and however long that takes, it’s yet more time that you’re not getting paid for, but that’s not the only areas we’re losing out on.

The main reason people gave for not taking their full allowance, was because they were too busy at work. This often leads to people trying to cram in as much as possible during the working week, so that they can enjoy their time off more. They do this by working extra, often without pay.

Our survey results showed that almost half of Brits (46%) are working overtime on a regular basis (daily or weekly).

Taking an extended break could help you live longer

A recently concluded 40-yearlong study found that taking a holiday helped to reduce stress and the longer the holiday, the better. A section of the men involved in the study were given diet and lifestyle advice throughout the 40 years, to help them stay healthy. Yet Professor Timo Strandberg, of the University of Helsinki, Finland, stated

“In our study, men with shorter vacations worked more and slept less than those who took longer vacations. This stressful lifestyle may have overruled any benefit of the diet and lifestyle advice given.”

But this is bad news for employers, clients, employees – well, everyone involved really.

Harvard economist Juliet Schor says, “The pace of work has increased quite dramatically. We are working much faster today than we were in the past. And that contributes to our sense of being overworked and frenzied and harried and stressed out and burned out by our jobs.”

The US has no paid leave mandate, so most people get far less than in EU countries. However, Juliet goes on to explain; “Europeans live longer and are healthier. In fact, the U.S is stressed to kill. We rank dead last in health among rich nations, with the shortest life expectancy.”

A stark warning for those who believe that working more yields better results.