Typically, a Brit working full-time gets 32 days of holiday entitlement, including bank holidays, but the latest research has shown that a whopping 69% of workers did not take all their annual leave last year.

A study of 7,000 employees found that hospitality workers took the least amount of annual leave, taking on average just 16 days, whilst London was the worst offending region, only using an average of 16.9 days.

Why aren’t staff using their annual leave?

Too much work

One fifth of employees surveyed felt they couldn’t take leave, as they had too much work to do.

No cover

For 16% of people, having no-one to hand over work to and feeling the hassle of coming back to a mountain of work, put them off taking leave.

With insufficient cover available, another top reason given was not wanting to leave their colleagues in the lurch.

Travel uncertainty

With travel companies warning that new Covid restrictions could be put in place at any time, 1 in 6 people don’t want to risk travelling.

Cost

With the rising costs of living, many are finding holidays too expensive.

Although staying at home is an option, more than 1 in 10 claim it’s pointless, as they’d only work all the time anyway.

Why staff should be encouraged to take time off

Promote wellbeing

With many feeling overworked, it’s vital to take time off to recharge. Taking regular breaks from work is crucial, for both your physical and mental health.

Prevent staff shortages

Feeling stressed and under constant pressure can leave staff fatigued and at the risk of burnout.

Staff should be encouraged to use their holiday entitlement to prevent health issues, which could result in long-term absences and staff shortages.

Avoid risk to business

If annual leave isn’t managed effectively, it puts added pressure on the remaining staff, which lowers morale and impacts their wellbeing, which can further lead to more staff absences.

If staff shortages become an ongoing issue, it can mean a limited, poorer service will be provided and the business’ reputation will suffer.

Manage annual leave effectively

With LeavePlanner, it’s quick and easy to book and approve holiday requests. Businesses can monitor the online holiday calendar in real-time and remind colleagues to use their entitlement, whilst ensuring the correct staffing levels are maintained.

One of the key concerns for employees not taking time off work was insufficient cover; LeavePlanner can help address this. Administrators can simply create working schedules and rotas to arrange cover, so employees feel able to take time off, without adding pressure onto their colleagues or themselves.

Arrange your free trial today. For an easy to use absence management software, call Steve on 01252 636 070 or email support@leaveplanner.com.