What's wrong with us? We complain we don't get enough time off work, yet according to a survey by Churchill Insurance, nearly 60% of us fail to use all of our annual leave. The problem is greatest among lawyers, salesman and people working in the hospitality industry, and seems to be driven partly by guilt and partly by forgetfulness. Some 43% say they feel bad about taking time off, 37% say they are too busy and 20% say they just forget they have days left.
And most are adamant that it is not a matter of having too many days off to use. Half of those questioned said they didn't think the standard UK leave allowance of 20-25 days was enough, and one in three said they needed at least 35 days a year.
So what drives us to go to work when we could be sunning ourselves on a beach somewhere? A mixture of vanity and employers who take advantage of our belief that they can't cope without us, it seems.
According to psychotherapist Christine Webber:
"We need to stop believing that we're so indispensable at work and try and look after our minds and bodies much more. Employers often allow their staff to go without their holidays in the mistaken belief that fewer vacations will result in more productivity.
Various experts now agree that too much work and too little leisure is counter productive, as employees tend to get sick more often and get more stressed if they don't take the breaks they're entitled to."
So you've heard what the "various experts" have to say – having a holiday is good for employees and employers alike. It's time to dig out those holiday forms …
