Member Article

48% of managers refuse holidays

UK executives are snubbing holidays despite the benefits that breaks from work provide, according to research published by the Chartered Management Institute. The majority of managers do not use their full holiday allowance, and almost half are losing up to two weeks holiday each year because they fail to book time off. The survey also reveals a ‘swap shop’ mentality, with many executives wanting to trade annual leave for other benefits. One third of managers feel they cannot take their full holiday allowance because their workload is too stressful. A quarter are concerned that deadlines will not be met if they stop working on holiday, and 17 per cent suggest that they find it hard to ‘let go’ of their responsibilities. 24 per cent admit to checking voicemail and emails when they are on holiday and 13 per cent contact their employer by choice more than once a week. Jo Causon, director, marketing and corporate affairs at the Chartered Management Institute, says: “Individuals clearly see the benefits of a break from work, but still appear unwilling to have a proper rest. In the short-term this may seem like a good idea, but the idea of ‘all work and no play’ is not a recipe for long-term success. “Britain continues to operate a long-hours culture, but it is clear from numerous studies that that employees are not afraid to work at this level providing they feel valued and are allowed to work more flexibly. Companies need to sit up and address this because rigid policies may produce a culture of ‘presenteeism’ but do not guarantee high levels of performance.” The study indicates that UK workers have an unhealthy attitude to their work/holiday balance: 58 per cent of managers admitting to being unproductive for at least 1 day each week.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .