Workers ‘afraid to take a fortnight off’

Almost a third of scots shy away from booking fortnight-long holidays for fear of upsetting their boss, research has revealed.

more than half failed to take their full quota of annual leave last year, while a quarter had holiday requests rejected by their managers.

A survey found that a 42 per cent of people failed to take time off because they were ‘too busy’ at work, while more than a third said they had saved them up for a holiday they did not take.

But 29 per cent of scots admitted they avoided taking a holiday a fortnight long because they feel it is frowned upon or discouraged in their workplace.

It also found those who do manage to get away struggle to switch off, with 58 per cent admitting to having spent long periods of their holidays thinking about work.

the research, carried out on behalf of British Airways, found that a fifth of scots said they came home from their breaks dreading the thought of returning to work, while 16 per cent said that on their return, they felt as if they had not managed to switch off properly.

Nick Hewer, businessman and former adviser on the Apprentice, said: ‘As an employer, a happy workforce is key to having a happy and most importantly a successful business.

‘Employees need time off work to unwind and relax in order to perform to the best they can and it’s shocking that so many UK employees not only don’t take two weeks’ annual leave, but when they do, find it hard to switch off and enjoy time out of the office.’

the survey also found that 79 per cent of scots have been back to the same holiday destination more than once, with 52 per cent visiting their favourite destination more than six times on average. And after only one week on holiday, more than half were left wishing they had spent more time at their destination during their time on holiday abroad.

matt Armstrong, holidays spokesman at British Airways, said: ‘Going on a summer holiday is always exciting. We all enjoy watching the countdown to our holiday date creep closer, yet it seems we’re reluctant to venture somewhere new.

‘many of us return to the same destination, and maybe that is down to lack of time to plan our holidays, as work commitments take over.

‘As more and more destinations become easier to access than ever before, we want to encourage as many Brits as possible to embrace their holidays and sense of adventure and try something new this summer. It’s time to commit to our holidays.’

the most popular holidays among scots are European beach breaks, European city visits, Caribbean beach holidays and American road trips.

It come just months after it emerged that scots holidaymakers spent far less on their breaks last year than in 2016 as holidaymakers tighten their belts. Families spent an average of £638 during their breaks last year, down from £1,000 a year earlier.

During 2016, three quarters of them overspent their budget by an average of £220 per family, according to a survey conducted by the Post office.

It found the biggest drain on scottish families was eating out – accounting for an average of £159 – while £90 will be spent on drinks, £64 on sightseeing and £47 on entertainment.

‘Employees need time to unwind’