Employment experts are urging employers to encourage staff to take their annual leave, as new research reveals a “holiday hoarding” epidemic that could be leading workers to burnout.

In a poll of 2,000 UK workers, commissioned by Breathe HR, over half (51%) of respondents said they did not take their full annual leave allowance last year. This trend of “holiday hoarding” (when workers don’t use all their annual leave) looks set to continue, with one in four (23%) saying they plan to take less holiday this year than they did last year.

The research also found that around half (48%) of “holiday hoarders” report feeling burnt out by the end of the year. They are also more than twice as likely to take an above-average number of sick days (more than 9.5 days), compared to workers who use all their annual leave.

Ill-health costs employers around £85 billion per year.

In light of these findings, experts are advising employers to remind teams to leverage their leave and build cultures that encourage holiday-taking in practice, not just on paper, to protect teams’ health and reduce their risk of burnout.

The warning comes just after “Burnout Deadline Day” on 2nd July. This halfway point in the year marks the date by which workers should have taken half of their annual leave allowance to protect their wellbeing. Separate Breathe HR research shows that the vast majority of workers feel happier, more productive and less run down and/or burnt out when they spread their leave evenly throughout the year.

Bharat Siyani, VP of People and Culture at Breathe HR, said:

“Today, workers are often slammed as ‘workshy’ in the press, but that’s not what we’re seeing on the ground. ‘Holiday hoarding’ is rife, with the majority of workers leaving leave on the table. This is a problem, as our new research shows that the habit could be harming workers’ health.

“The causes of ‘holiday hoarding’ aren’t simple, and some factors are outside employers’ control. But there are things businesses can and should do to reduce ‘holiday hoarding’. Crucially, employers must build cultures where staff feel encouraged and genuinely able to take time off. Those who do so will see happier, healthier, more productive teams who enable the business to thrive.”

Tips on how employers can combat “holiday hoarding”. 

Phil Coxon, Managing Director of Breathe HR, said:

“Our new data shows that we’re in the midst of a holiday hoarding crisis, with potentially devastating consequences for the wellbeing of workers and employers alike.

“Unhappy, unhealthy teams cannot perform at their best, and poor health costs employers about £85 billion a year. So the bottom line for businesses is that ‘holiday hoarding’ is as much of a productivity issue as a wellbeing one. I hope this new research encourages businesses to take action now and topple the barriers preventing their teams from taking breaks.”

Why are workers “holiday hoarding”?

The causes of “holiday hoarding” are complex. Breathe HR’s research found that the cost of living, heavy workloads, cultures around taking leave, and job insecurity are all impacting our holiday habits:

• Over a fifth (22%) of workers plan to take less leave this year because the cost of living means they can’t afford to go away
• The same number (22%) said they plan to take less holiday this year because the increasing cost of flights is stopping them from travelling
• 1 in 5 (20%) are worried about redundancy and the tough job market and so don’t want to take all their holiday in case doing so negatively impacts how managers view them
• 17% of workers worry they won’t be seen as a top performer if they take all their annual leave
• A similar number (19%) say holiday is treated as an inconvenience within their organisation

Previous Breathe HR research also shows that:

• 1 in 5 (21%) workers aren’t encouraged by their employer or manager to take a holiday
• Nearly 1 in 3 (29%) feel their workload prevents them from taking holiday
• More than 1 in 4 (28%) find it difficult to find out how much holiday they have used and have left

How can employers combat “holiday hoarding”?

Advice from Bharat Siyani, VP of People and Culture at Breathe HR

1. Understand the cause of “holiday hoarding”

You can’t combat “holiday hoarding” until you understand why it’s happening.

The causes of this phenomenon aren’t simple, and some things are outside of employers’ control. However, our data at Breathe HR shows that heavy workloads, cultures around staff taking leave, and hidden holiday policies could all be playing a role. Employers need to find out exactly what’s driving “holiday hoarding” within their own organisation by performing a holiday culture audit.

To do this, get teams’ opinions on what’s working well and what needs to change. Once you have that information, you can take the steps required to tackle holiday hoarding.

2. Reflect on your holiday culture

The idea that colleagues who work the most are the most committed and productive remains deeply entrenched across many workplaces – and impacts how workers take leave. Unless taking time off is genuinely encouraged in practice, our data shows some staff will “holiday hoard” because they fear using their annual leave in full could harm career advancement or put their jobs at risk.

To fix this, employers need to reflect honestly on their company culture. Are staff encouraged to take leave? Do managers role-model good holiday habits to support their pro-holiday advocacy? Do you highlight the wellbeing benefits of taking time off? Is annual leave made to feel like a perk or privilege, or is it rightly championed as a necessity? By going beyond simply encouraging staff to take a holiday and ensuring your culture and policies genuinely support staff taking time off, you’ll ensure staff feel able to take breaks.