Findings from the Annual Leave Allowances survey by Just Eat for Business has revealed that 20% of British workers are unable to take time off work due to staffing shortages and reduced business resources—meaning their requests for leave are denied.
The news should come as little surprise considering recent reports that indicate that labour shortages were the “most urgent problem” that is facing the UK economy. The country is experiencing more than 1.3 million job vacancies and 900,000 fewer workers today than what was predicted prior to the pandemic.
Staffing shortages was named as the biggest disruptor to annual leave requests but even if their leave is approved, more than a quarter of workers indicated that they are unable to enjoy the time off due to their employers contacting them whilst on leave to cover unexpected absences and excessive workloads. Employees (60%) also felt as though their employer actively discourages them from taking time off work.
The report also discovered how workers are spending their annual leave and how time off has affected work-life balance during the move to flexible working. Overall, around a third of workers are trying to maintain a health sense of work-life balance but are finding it to be stressful with around four in ten feeling burnt out at work.
To combat this, organisations should encourage staff to at least take minimum breaks during the week even if an extended period of annual leave is not possible. Micro-breaks are also an effective tool that can help employees breakdown their day into smaller bite-size chunks and can help them to switch-off more effectively after work—all of which can help combat feelings of burnout and exhaustion.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
