Workers skip holidays due to project pressures, says survey

MOST workers will not take their full holiday entitlement this year and those who do are putting in long hours to finish projects, a new survey reveals.

A poll of 5,000 workers showed that most were under pressure to finish their work before they left the office.

One in five said they suffered from stress because of the extra work, and half worried about work while they were on holiday.

The so-called "pre-holiday tension" was even stopping some people taking their holidays, with just 40% of those questioned saying they will take their full entitlement this year.

One female computer specialist from the north-east told the employment website Reed.co.uk, which conducted the survey: "I had to work an extra 80 hours to complete a project arranged after I booked my holiday."

Workers were putting in an extra nine hours in the days before a holiday, rising to 17 hours for directors.

One manager from the south-east told researchers he had to cancel a family holiday the night before they were due to fly out because of work commitments.

Half of those questioned worried that something would go wrong while they were away, and one in 10 said they feared being made redundant.

Two-thirds said their colleagues took on extra work while they were away.

Dan Ferrandino, managing director of Reed.co.uk, said: "It is encouraging that so many workers are stepping in to help relieve their colleagues' stress.

"Canceling your holiday is certainly not the answer the best cure is a week or two relaxing in the sun."