I've just seen an article that says that a lot of UK workers don't take their holiday entitlement.

[Pepperypig]

Does anyone not take their full entitlement? I find it difficult to get holidays and have to book them far in advance - but I would never not take all my entitlement unless my boss paid me for the days that I hadn't taken. Same with working more hours - I work my lunch most days and stay late most nights, however, I wouldn't do it for nothing - I would expect to get overtime. AIBU? Is it not being a bit of a martyr not taking your full holiday entitlement?

I usually go into the last month of the leave year with a day in hand, as I like to have the option to take a short notice leave day if necessary, and I was always happy to lose that day if I had to. Actually perhaps I don't need to now, as I did it mainly as dh was ill so often. Could be a silver lining now he is not here.

In finance it is quite common that employees have to take two consecutive weeks holidays. At least once a year.

Why? Because if they were up to anything dodgy, it’slikely that it would emerge over a two week period.

Overtime I do a lot of and it's unpaid but it's part of the job and is the same for most people.

I do take my annual leave though as it can't be rolled over.

Holiday gets refused at my place all the time so no luck there. We do get the holiday paid back at the end of the year though. However we don't get lunch break but still get docked half an hour a day.

It's mental if you have paid leave not to take it. Agree-noone is indispensable...and if they are the business isn't being run well.
I'm self employed so a bit different (I'm kind of always "working" but also never averse to having a day off randomly.
If/when I have employees I would insist on them taking their leave.
We work to live not live to work.

I'm struggling to take all mine this year, but then I get 31 days + BHs + 5 days that I opted to "buy". I also get time added on because I don't work on Mondays, which is when most BHs fall.

I also had 5 days carried forward from last year, because I was off sick for 6 weeks following surgery when I only expected to be off for 2 weeks, so the 2 weeks that I'd booked ended up being sick leave, not annual leave.

It's not helped by the attitude to holiday where DP works. He can't have leave at all in April, even though it being the end of the financial year makes no difference to his work whatsoever, and they've just introduced a rule that no more than 3 people from any team can be off at any one time. This means that he can't have the 2 weeks we'd decided to have, even though 3 clerical assistants being off has no impact on the work of the payroll specialists he manages!

Loads of people have left the team I work on (they're all jumping ship before expected 50% funding cuts later in the year), which has made it really hard for me to take leave as the number of people left to cover my caseload is so low. The chances of finding another fortnight we can both take before the schools break up are slim, and we hate going away in school holidays.

In a sense, it's our own fault. Because we go touring in our motorhome, we don't need to book anything, so don't plan in advance. I'd be happy to, but DP is looking for another job, and didn't want to commit himself to time off in case it caused problems with start dates etc. I warned him this might happen, so next year will just put my foot down about it.

I can really see how people end up losing their leave, but I also think that if they've requested leave that hasn't been allowed, they should be allowed to carry it forward (providing that they have used at least the legal minimum).

It is encouraged to take leave at my place & it's not that the company is in trouble BUT I love my job/company and I hate that it makes things harder for everyone (myself included) when I do take time off.

I've got a week off next month. I have to book that week 6m in advance regardless of what we have planned. I 'do' an event every 3 weeks and the month I have a week off means changing to a 4 week gap between events. It's just the way it is and tbh I wouldn't change it.

I know a number of people who probably don't, or end up having odd days to use them up and do work on part of those days.

I don't always take mine, but do try to do so.

I get 6 weeks plus Bank Holidays but will always take at least 4 weeks plus BHs and usually 5 weeks plus BHs. It depends on workload as to whether I manage it or not.

It is within my own control though which makes a difference to my attitude toward it. I cannot roll it over.

I've not taken my full entitlement in last five years nor will I this year and we have no option to carry over. This year I'll lose 3 weeks. It absolutely fucking sucks but every single application is turned down on the basis that they can't afford to have anyone off 'at that (any!!!) time'. It costs me a fucking fortune on in holiday club payments for my son during school holidays and it's really really starting to fuck me off!

That's illegal. The statutory minimum of 28 days (including 8 BHs) is intended to ensure that people get time off. DP assures me that not letting people take that much contravenes employment law, even if pay in lieu is given (bit different for those on ZHCs and casual/bank staff).

I'd speak to your union, if I were you.

I still remember, shortly after I joined ICI back in 1984 one of the (very respected) senior managers telling me always to take all my annual leave. "You'll not get thanked if you don't, so you're a mug if you don't take it"

So I always have!

Same as GOODCAT I probably don't take all my holidays, but work part time, love my job and seem to have enough 'free time'. Like GOODCAT it is all within my control, I can choose when to work, if I want to work w/ends and BHs and have time off in the week.

I feel as it is within my own control and I have autonomy over my working hours I don' feel the need to count every hour worked. For example if I want to go out for a long lunch/have an early start/finish I can do it.

Mugging yourself is not clever.
Work through lunch and worling free overtime makes me ragey on people's behalf

I’m self employed so take very little holiday. If I had paid holiday I would squeeze every last minute from it

I never have any leave left untaken - and that's including taking a few unpaid parental leave days! Between family holidays (two weeks a year), additional days around long weekends to visit family, taking days for SEN school meetings / SW meetings / fighting the Council to get entitlement, and then wanting to take odd days during the school holidays simply to do fun things with our son whilst he's off for the long summer .... I don't have enough leave!

I take every minute I can get! However, I do work really long hours with no overtime pay (as director level).

Nope, I get a decent annual leave entitlement well over the statutory minimum, in my last job I could buy extra as well so I did that, and I take every hour of every day’s holiday that I am entitled to. Not taking it makes you a mug. The more that employees do this, the more employers will take the piss out of you.

And for people with employers who don’t let them take their holiday within the leave year that’s unlawful, don’t let them away with it.

I would never, ever, ever not take my full entitlement! In fact, I often buy more. I don't understand how people don't take it and how employers allow this - wherever I've worked, we've always had to take full entitlement.

Will add, I work in the NHS so have 27+BH and still buy more - I haven't this year due to maternity leave.

Employers shouldn't be allowed to get away with it and employees shouldn't let them.

I do get to take my full holiday entitlement. TOIL on the other hand is hard to get because I need to find a staff member to cover it for me.

Thankfully with TOIL, we can use it whenever and it does carry on into the next year.

We can only carry over 5 days if it's unavoidable. I have this year as last year was crazy and couldn't fit it in. I've used them to take odd days here and there. I normally take all my holiday.

I've booked all but a week of this year's already. But my work mate is kicking up a fuss as I've booked (and need) 2 non consecutive weeks in August and she wants 2 consecutive weeks in August. I've also booked the week before half term in October, turns out it's half term in her area. Argh.

My view is that if an employer refuses a leave request, they should be legally required immediately to offer an alternative, if the employee has the hours left to take.

In reality of course these offers would always be shit ('you can take 3-4pm every other Tuesday for the entire year') but at least it would make the point that refusing leave is something that should be part of a relationship, not a default position or the end of a conversation just because you've been too gormless to recruit enough staff.

I have always taken my full allowance of leave and always will. Nothing is more important to me than time with my family and work is merely the means to provide for my family. Fortunately my employer is very clear that leave must be taken and there are plenty of opportunities to take it throughout the year :)