Vacation avoidance- why is the office more popular than the beach?

Vacation avoidance - why is the office more popular than the beach?

With summer approaching, I am certainly getting excited about soaking up some rays with a book in one hand and an ice-cold rose in the other. However, not so everyone else, it would seem. Breathe’s 2024 Holiday Report, The Unused Holiday & Burnout Epidemic, found that only 35% of the 1000 UK employees surveyed had used their total holiday entitlement in 2024, with 17% leaving more than five days unclaimed at the end of the holiday year. These results echo the increasing trend of ‘holiday hoarding’ where employees delay, carry over or otherwise avoid the use of their entitlement to paid time off. 

Given that the general concept of taking paid holiday is an agreeable one, what is deterring some people from taking their leave? The 2024 Annual Leave Report published by PeopleHR noted work culture and expectations, staff shortages, seasonal and peak periods of work, the blurred lines of hybrid working, and fear of falling behind all as contributing factors. Interestingly, the arrangement that some employers have introduced of allowing employees to take unlimited annual leave isn’t necessarily the answer either, with the Breathe Report recognising that the results of this approach are mixed and that there is a risk it may result in less time off being taken. 

It was back in 1998 when the legal right for workers to receive a minimum amount of paid holiday was introduced, courtesy of the Working Time Regulations; this EU-derived benefit was health and safety driven with the purpose of enabling employees and workers to enjoy a period of relaxation and leisure away from work. The right has evolved over the years and UK workers now have a statutory minimum entitlement to 5.6 weeks paid holiday per year, with some employees also enjoying additional holiday entitlement on top of that statutory minimum under their contracts of employment. 

It is well-established, of course, that taking annual leave is closely linked to improved employee well-being and the downsides for an employee of not taking holiday can be significant. The PeopleHR Report notes that employees who don’t take holiday face an increased risk of burnout, are more likely to encounter health issues, are less motivated, have reduced creativity, increased sick leave and an unhealthy work-life balance. Over 80% of the respondents to the Breathe Report agreed that they suffered burnout, exhaustion and poor mental health when they couldn’t take time off or hadn’t for several months. So, in the long run, it’s not just your employees who will benefit if they have some time away from work, it’s a win for employers too. 

However, even when employees are taking leave, many are not taking a complete break from work. The Breathe Report found 57% of the respondents admitted to working whilst on holiday - 29% stating they didn’t want to return to a backlog of work and 25% being worried they would get behind on their work if they took holiday. Labour’s Plan to Make Work Pay includes an objective for employers to address this as it proposes a new right for workers to “switch off” from work. Although this right isn’t included in the Employment Rights Bill, the government has confirmed in its Next Steps to Make Work Pay that the right to switch off will be addressed through a statutory code of practice. Employers may, therefore, want to start thinking about how this right might work on the ground in their workplaces. 

An important factor for employers to consider is that workers may not realise that their statutory entitlement to holiday operates on a ‘use it or lose it’ basis. Under the Working Time Regulations, statutory leave can only be carried over in very limited circumstances, such as where the worker has been unable to take leave because they have been off sick or have had a period of family leave. As an employer, it is important to ensure workers are aware that they should be taking their statutory leave each year and that they can’t just store it up. Where an employer provides additional holiday over and above the statutory minimum, there is flexibility as to how that additional leave is dealt with and when this can be carried over (or not) but provisions and limitations as to carry over need to be clearly set out in your holiday policy.  

Given that a healthy and rested workforce is best for everyone, how can employers encourage their workers to take advantage of their holiday entitlement?

1. Communication and messaging – communicate the benefits to staff of taking holiday and make it clear that you actively encourage staff to take their annual leave. 
2. Streamlined booking system – make sure staff know how to book holiday, including the approval process, and have a system in place which allows them to easily keep track of how much holiday they have left to take.  
3. Set an example – ensure that managers and your senior leadership team take time off. 
4. Make sure holiday is meaningful – allow employees to have a proper break when they are away, keeping interruptions (if any at all) to a minimum. 
5. A clear policy – make sure your policy clearly explains your expectations around taking holiday, when holiday can be carried over and when holiday might be lost. 
6. Handover/ cover arrangements – review how you manage handover and cover arrangements when people take holiday so that colleagues are properly briefed before a worker goes on leave. Make sure work is picked up for those on holiday, ensuring they don’t return to a heavy backlog and missed deadlines.

Encouraging employees to take their full holiday allowance can lead to a happier, healthier and more productive workforce. The first step is to promote a culture where taking time off and having a proper break is viewed as the norm - everyone needs a bit of rest and relaxation to recharge their batteries from time to time. Now where did I put my beach bag…

On the surface, unused holiday may appear harmless or even praiseworthy, but studies show that not taking enough time off causes increased stress, decreased productivity and a higher chance of burnout.

https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1916961/holiday-hoarding-%E2%80%93-why-so-workers-doing-it