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 have never not taken my holidays but do regularly work more than my contracted hours. However I'm fairly well paid and the only person who does my job so I feel I'm paid to do the job rather than for the hours if that makes sense.

In the past i was on a 5 hour contract but worked full time with overtime so if i took holidays i was only paid for 5 hours. I'm not in this situation but see others, especially in retail, being affected by this.

I used to take my leave only when needed for things like appointments. As a single parents I'd save it for when kids were sick and I needed to be off so often I'd have a few days left. Could never carry them over or get paid for them but I didn't mind as the company I worked for was marvellous and generous in so many other ways. Then the owner retired and we were bought out by a rival company. Sick days were taken out your annual leave or unpaid and contracts were all changed not for the better and working there went from idillic to horrendous. Number of days holiday were cut in the contract change and we went down to 20. I left.

zigzag -if you work over your contract for at least 12 continuous weeks then your holiday pay should reflect average hours worked rather than contracted hours. This is also the case with zero hours contracts as long as that 12 week point is past. We used to have to work it out manually but luckily now our payroll does it automatically.

I don't get overtime now I'm salaried (retail) and lieu time only kicks in if I work 6/7 or 5 hours over my contract so unless it's unavoidable I jiggle my hours to stick to contract. We have a September to August holiday year and I started getting reminder emails that all my team shuld have all their holiday booked or we would be penalised a couple of weeks ago. It's hard sorting out holidays - we're busier when the school's are out but that's no excuse not to book everyone's entitlement.

I'm ima wonderful company now where I get lots of holiday and can take it when I want. However, in my previous job I had leave cancelled at least once a year because a parent needed it and as I'm not a parent my plans (to go on holiday with my teacher best friend - because at the time we were both single and hated holidaying alone) were not as important as a parents plan so I had to cover.

Leaving that toxic hellhole 8 years ago was the best thing I ever did!

I had flexi time for years and generally built up days to take on that, so generally had a few days spare at the end of the leave Year to carry over (3 year cycle). I was oh on year 3, so couldn't use it all, wxceptionally allowed carry it over but then did a college course linked to work and not allowed take any leave - so my new boss (in year 5) had to deal with me taking 56 days leave that year!

But I normally , especially now that I don't get flexi anymore, either use it all up within the year or only carryover what is allowed and size it by the end of the cycle.

I can’t understamd this. Even if I didn’t get the weeks I wanted off, I’d still take random days off to make sure I got my full allowance. I always wonder are these the same people who pride themselves on staying at work long after finishing time.

One of my employees used to take only about 50% of her annual leave allowance. When I took over, I insisted that she take the full 6weeks. It’s fully paid. Same person used to work an extra 1-2 hours a day unpaid, despite there being absolutely no need to do this. I think it’s crazy and just screams of inefficiency

As someone who would like nothing more than to take my full annual leave allowance, have lunchbreaks every day and leave the office on time, I think it is a bit simplistic to say "more fool you" to those of us in this situation. It's often more complex than this. I get 32 days but never take them all. We can carry forward up to 5 days and I've been doing this for about 8 years - 5 days constantly rolling forward. Some years I manage to get down to a zero balance with this carry forward but other years I lose days as well as taking the carry forward. Last year, for example, I lost 2 days, so that was 7 days annual leave in total that I didn't use. I tell myself that this situation is okay for now as the constantly rolling of 5 days gives me a buffer in case of any family emergencies, bereavement etc and there will come a time when I will likely use this.

As a manager, I strive to ensure my team take all their annual leave - if I have to deny a request, I make damn sure I work with that person to find an alternate time as soon as possible. Unfortunately, not only does the same courtesy not seem to be extended to me and others at the more senior levels but because I often have to pick up work in the absence of others, I do this to the detriment of my own holidays. I work through lunch 4 days out of 5 (I set aside 1 lunch break every week, blocked out in my calendar and even that has raised eyebrows) and I regularly come into work an hour before I should start work and stay 60-90 minutes after. Then there's the work I take home and pick up later in the evenings, weekends etc. Although I don’t take all my annual lave each year, I do always take a "proper" 2-week break in the summer but I've become increasingly aware that I am one of the few people who does this and holidays of more than a week are becoming a thing of the past. It is relentless but I've learned that there is nothing to be achieved by complaining. There's too much of a presenteeism culture in my industry that although I have no desire to climb any higher than I already am, I also don’t want to be left behind, considered not dedicated to my work (not true, I am 100% dedicated in working hours and feel I'd have even more energy if I got regular breaks!) or demoted (I can't afford that) so I do what it takes but I do resent it. The one positive thing I will say however is that when I do take holidays, I am not expected to check emails or be in contact at all - holidays are treated with reverence if and when they can be taken.

I can’t understand this. Even if I didn’t get the weeks I wanted off, I’d still take random days off to make sure I got my full allowance. I always wonder are these the same people who pride themselves on staying at work long after finishing time.

As I said up thread I am someone who doesn't take all my holiday allowance - reasons are that I genuinely love my work, it is very laid back, friends can pop in to see me, it's a real community based job and I love being part of the community. It is not particularly difficult or stressful. I am sitting at home now in the sunshine and will go in later today (I can pick my hours).

I probably 'lose' about five days a year - but as I work part time I can take days as and when I need them. I feel respected and valued at work, which I don't always feel at home . If the alternative to being at work is stuck at home with a stroppy teenager on a wet miserable day then sometimes I would be happier to be at work .

I think my situation is very different to those who work with difficult bosses who won't allow certain days/weeks off - that would be very stressful. We are constantly reminded to take our full allowance so any 'fault' is clearly my own - but I am happy.

In my previous job I never did—there was no holiday cover and one was just expected to do more work before and after the holiday to compensate (project-based work).

I pretty much always take mine - with kids it's pretty hard not to. DH is working contracts these days, so his time off is expensive and often we manage times like half term next week by me taking the kids two or three days, and my parents taking them the rest.

I'm fortunate that my job is non-critical and the workload is cyclical, so I can arrange for there not to be urgent things when I won't be around, or delegate to someone else if strictly necessary.

I've missed taking my full entitlement a couple of times due to massive workloads and no leave being available when it was better time to take it. Bloody annoyed me that I could only carry 5 days over to the next year's (and then had same issue trying to fit even more leave into hectic schedule with not enough leave slots).

I won't make that mistake again and always make sure I get everything booked in asap at the start of the leave year. I was young a too keen to impress before.

My ex was self employed and once took 3 days off in a whole year. Madness.

I am really shocked at some if the wirking practices going on out there!
Getting docked a lunch break but not being allowed to take it!
Leave permanently getting refused , not being able book leave if in case someone else wants it!
I know local authority workers often get criticized but generally we have good working conditions.

I rarely take all mine but have a job which expands to fill any and all available time!

Just remembered that when we had training on how to spot internal fraud we were told to watch out for people who rarely took any annual leave. People who are on the fiddle don't like to take time off so their scams can't be discovered apparently... Not that I'm suggesting anyone here is less than scrupulously honest and hardworking! Just remembered they made a big point of it.

Before I had kids I often struggled to find time to take off not because I didn't want to but because talking time off meant the work piled up and I had more to do when I got back. I was an associate at a busy architectural practice and often went in early and left late, I loved the job and often had high profile international projects on the go with people working in different time zones.
Kids made that more difficult as I had to juggle childcare with that, fine when DS1 was a nursery a nightmare when he started school.
I now have my own practice and only work part time - well technically DS2 is in nursery 3 days a week, so I work that, evenings and weekends but because I work alone holidays are difficult and roughly translate to school holiday weeks when I can't sort anything else out!

My base amount is 29 days plus BHs. I also buy another 10. I could use plenty more with no issue at all ...

Sorry, I was typing on the phone this morning - I was pg on year 3 and couldn't use it all so had to carry forward into year 4 (I expected to use a good bit at the end of mat leave), DD settled in crèche very fast (and I missed being an adult at work) so I didn't use them then, and went on a college course halfway through y4 and most of y5 that meant I couldn't take any leave, hence me carrying 56 days and new boss having a hissy fit.

But even here (civil service), where people used to take a full month in summer and use up all their leave over the 3 year cycle, there are fewer and shorter holidays being taken and lots are losing days and even weeks at the end of the cycle. Now even 2 week breaks are getting unusual, and senior staff are expected to still be available by email and mobile while on leave, even in the quiet part of the year. So not really the type of holidays it used to be, even when I started (I'm almost halfway through my career - not an old gimmer by any means).

I am happily self-employed now but would never (and have never) not taken the leave I was entitled to. If I want to volunteer my time I'll do it for a charity or other worthy cause - not a business that is incapable of supporting itself.

I get quite ranty about employers who expect 'free' work and the employees who go along with it. The whole 'work till you drop' culture and the pride some people take in working 12+ hour days through illness/holidays etc. seems completely nuts to me.

I’m really surprised at the number of people who don’t take their entitlement - in 25 years I’ve never lost any holidays. I book them, tell everyone when I’m away and go away - I’m Director level in a large corporate international company but only work to live, not live to work. No one is indispensable.

No one is indispensable but some roles are. My team currently has 2.7 people in post for a role that needs some cover at three different bases (close together), and there has to be at least two bodies in every weekday for at least half a day in each base. The summer holiday rota is like Jenga. It has to be done though - not an option to just say 'oh well you can't take leave'.

Annandale - what would happen if someone broke their leg/got the flu etc at the same time as someone was on holiday?

We hope not. Flat shoes and vitamin tablets are encouraged. We have already requested a locum which may or may not be approved, then there may or may not be anyone available.

Ive seen it said elsewhere that ppl on UC can be sanctioned for taking their annual leave. I have no idea if this is true though.

Presenteeism is for martyrs and idiots.

I always take every minute of my leave allowance, even if it means taking a random Wednesday in December off as a matter of principle. I usually buy additional leave if at all possible. People who don’t take all their leave are being taken for mugs.

More fool them.