Only 35% of UK workers are making full use of their holiday allowance. 65% are not using their full annual leave allowance. The research comes from a new study by Breathe.
“The trend towards employees not taking their full annual leave entitlement is concerning and something that we know HR leaders will be watching closely,” comments Gareth Burrows, managing director at Breathe.
The survey discovered that the biggest reason why employees are not taking time off work is staff shortages (41%). Another half of respondents who took less holiday than they did five years ago said that their increased role responsibilities makes it more difficult to take time off.
Nearly a third of respondents reported using up less of their annual leave because they are worried for their job security.
The research strongly indicates UK workers being anxious about their job position, and working overtime as a result, which reveals concerning insights into working environments and culture. 26% were worried that taking holiday would reflect badly on their work performance.
The survey also discovered that 81% noticed feelings of burnout, exhaustion, or poor mental health when they work too much.
“With burnout and mental health issues on the rise it’s crucial for businesses leaders to monitor possible burnout levels among staff,” Burrows continues. “As well as creating a culture where employees feel safe and supported in taking their full annual leave allocation.”
The 25-34 year old age group are most likely to suffer the effects of burnout from not taking time off work. 31% of this age range say they’re more likely to take sick or even unpaid leave when they’ve used up their annual leave allowance.
28% of Gen Z workers (aged 24 and under) state that they’re simply too busy to take annual leave. This conflicts the misconception that this group operate strict boundaries around their personal time.