Nearly half of Brits don’t take all their annual leave, research suggests

Almost half of British workers do not take their full annual leave allowance, with the main reasons being that holidays are too expensive and that they do not have enough time to plan.

New research by NatWest Premier has found that 45 per cent of Brits will not make the most of their days off, with an average of five days – a full working week – not being taken per person every year.

In a study of over 2,000 employed Brits of all different levels of income, the main reason cited, at 27 per cent, was that taking annual leave was too expensive.

While some said they struggle to afford to pay for a trip, many of those who earn an annual salary of over $100,000 and are not taking all their annual leave say it is because they do not have the time to plan a holiday.

Only 50 per cent of working survyed said they take their full annual holiday allowance, while the number is slightly higher, at 61 per cent, for employed women, the study found.

Even when workers do utilise their annual leave, some are still inclined to carry on with their work, even when they are supposed to be taking a well-earned break.

For Brits who take a seven-day holiday and switch on their out-of-office, two and a half of those days are likely spent still working, the research said.

The main reason that workers said they continued to work was that they wanted to stay on top of their tasks so they would be less stressed when they were back.

Around 42 per cent of all workers survyed said they would carry on working during their annual leave, with this number climbing with the salary: 66 per cent of people earning over £100,000 said they would work on holiday.

Laura Newman, the head of financial planning at NatWest Premier, said: “You’ve got your annual leave allowance, want to take a holiday, but don’t know what help is available, and have no time to plan it – logistically or financially – meaning it never gets booked, and the much-needed R & R doesn’t happen. It can be a cycle, and our latest research shows many are guilty of this.”

She also added that those who say they struggle with planning a holiday should also see what their banks offer, such as free airport lounge access, free travel insurance, and no FX fees, to help take the pressure off.

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