DC09-231 24 July, 2009
Office top summer holiday destination for Scots
Almost one in seven Scots have chosen to give up a week of their annual holidays and some say it’s because they are worried they won’t have a job to return to, according to new research from BT Business.
Workers who fear being out of contact with the office and are poorly equipped for remote working will be spending an average of seven days of their holiday leave at their desks as the financial crisis continues to take hold. The findings reveal employees are giving up the equivalent of a quarter of their annual leave, according to the government’s legal minimum holiday entitlement, putting an extra £800 million into the economy this year.
In addition to rising stress levels and poor health, one in 10 parents are concerned that the extra hours will have a negative impact on their ability to look after their children, as many cancel summer breaks with the kids.
“People sandwiched between the demands of the office and home are lacking the business tools to help them cope,” said Bill Murphy, managing director, BT Business. “We all need to take a break from work and recharge and this is a worrying situation. Companies that are adopting smarter working are seeing the positive impact on their staff motivation. Cancelling summer breaks will not only have a catastrophic effect on employee wellbeing but can also impact their productivity and therefore a company's overall output.”
A culture of “presenteeism” whereby an employee works beyond the expected hours and juggling a heavy workload are equally the main drivers for staff selecting destination “the office”. The fear of not having a job to return to is top of the mind for almost 14 per cent of Scots workers.
Respondents are clear though on what bosses can do to help improve their working experience – more than two-thirds of employees (66 per cent) stated that their working situation could be improved if they had the right technology to do their job and the option to work from home.
Bill Murphy added: “Employers need to look closely at the tools and practices they employ to ensure they are boosting staff morale in the current climate. Using technology to support practices such as remote or flexible working can help companies and staff become more efficient and ensure everyone is getting the time away from work they are entitled to.”
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Notes to Editors:
The research was conducted for BT Business in June 2009 and surveyed 4000 people.
The legal minimum holiday entitlement you are entitled to is 5.6 weeks. For a calculation of leave allowance multiply the number of days you work a week by 5.6. For example, 5 days x 5.6 weeks = 28 days.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Timeoffandholidays/DG_10034642
