UK workers could be leaving almost 200 million days of paid holiday unused each year, with heavy workloads and a lack of cover preventing many employees from taking their full annual leave entitlement.
The average worker finished their last full annual leave year with seven days of paid holiday remaining, according to research commissioned by private diagnostics provider Vista Health.
Applying the unrounded survey figure across the UK’s estimated 30.3 million payrolled employees would equate to approximately 199 million days of paid leave going unused in a year.
Work pressures prevent employees from taking leave.
Among employees who had unused annual leave, 23 percent said they had simply been too busy at work to take it.
Almost one in five, 18 percent, said there was nobody available to provide cover, while 14 percent were concerned that work would pile up while they were away.
The research found that 49 percent of workers had continued working while feeling unwell during the summer, doing so for an average of six days.
Workload was again a significant factor, with 28 percent saying they worked while ill because they had too much work to do.
Differences in unused annual leave exist around the country.
Employees in London finished their last working year with an average of 7.2 days remaining.
Truro recorded the highest average at 7.8 days, followed by Newcastle upon Tyne at 7.5 days.
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Applying London’s average to the capital’s estimated 4.3 million payrolled employees would produce a rough estimate of around 31 million days of unused paid holiday a year.
It is clear that the issue of unused annual leave is complex, and that employees’ ability to take time off is affected by a range of factors, including workload, lack of cover, and personal circumstances.
Three in 10 respondents, 29 percent, said they had postponed a health appointment, test or check during the summer.
Among those who had delayed an appointment, the average postponement was six weeks.
Work was the most commonly cited obstacle, with 35 percent saying they had been too busy with their job.
Dr Reem Hasan, chief medical officer at Vista Health and an NHS GP, said competing demands during the summer could make it difficult for people to prioritize their health.
“Summer is often associated with rest and relaxation, but for many people it brings a very different reality,” she said.
“School holidays, juggling childcare, caring responsibilities, travel, financial pressures and covering for colleagues can all make it harder to prioritize our own health and wellbeing.”
Hasan said employers could help by creating working environments in which employees felt able to take time away when necessary, allowing them to use their benefits effectively.
“Healthy workplaces should make it possible for people to take appropriate time to recover, attend healthcare appointments and use their annual leave without feeling that they are letting colleagues down,” she said.
