A YouGov survey back in 2015 found that 33% of British workers declined to take their full annual leave allowance. And further studies suggest this isn’t an anomaly, but a growing trend, to the tune of around 4million British employees every year. So what’s going on? In an era where more and more businesses are boasting of offering unlimited holiday leave why are people swapping sunburn for burnout? And what are you going to do about it?

Guilt, shame and fear.

Unlimited holidays for all staff isn’t even headline news anymore. Many businesses now offer this kind of flexible leave policy, alongside generous pat and mat leave packages, and even things like four day working weeks. We love to read about it, and we love to see businesses adapting to a result driven approach to work… but often it’s what’s happening on the shop floor, rather than those headline grabbing perks, that tells the full story.

Because the truth is, people aren’t just governed by the words on their contract. They’re influenced by the unwritten rules that exist in workplaces.

It’s perceiving these unwritten rules that can bring people out in a cold sweat at the thought of filling in their holiday request form. They may feel:

·       Guilt that they’re leaving colleagues in the lurch.

·       Fear they’ll be overlooked for a promotion because they’re going away for two weeks during a major project.

·       Shame that they’re jetting off while colleagues seemingly aren’t taking their allowance.

·       Anxiety they will likely return to a heaving inbox, or projects that have slipped behind schedule without their input.

All these feelings may be provably true, imagined, or simply perceived as the unwritten rules of a particular team, department or company culture.

Of course, it’s also important to note that ‘leaving the office’ isn’t as easy as it used to be. Technology means you could be relaxing on a lounger in Zante, and still have everything you need to access your work email account right there next to your iced coffee and Lee Child novel. Which makes it very tempting to dip in and out of work when you should be taking a dip in the pool.

As a leader, how can you nip this in the bud?

Show you care.

If those unspent holiday days are gathering dust, then reach out to people. Show an interest, and encourage your talent to take their breaks. It’s a great way to build engagement, understand concerns, and relieve guilt. And when they do use their holidays? Reach out again, let your people know you’re pleased they’re taking the time to refresh themselves as part of a healthy work life balance. It sets the right tone.

Lead from the front.

Take your holidays. Take your mat or pat leave. And here’s the tricky bit, don’t reply to work emails while you’re away. When you return, let people know you’re back, and how much you valued having time away. By showing leadership on this issue, you’ll make those unwritten rules vanish overnight.

Limit rollover.

This might seem counterintuitive. But when people see they can roll over their holiday allowance to next year, it makes it all the more tempting to stick around, particularly during busy times. So limit the rollover, and be sure to explain you’re doing this to prevent people from burning themselves out, rather than denying them their rightful time off.

Take care to prevent workload overflow. 

For many employees, the very real fear that their work won’t stop when they’re away taints the idea of a carefree holiday. Ensure you’ve got an eye on how much each of your people is taking on. Ask them what you can do to remove stress while they take a break. And ensure you have a range of capabilities within your team. That way, when someone steps away, there’s always a different pair of hands there to keep the rudder steady for a while.

Can’t keep your people away from their desks? You’re probably swapping short-term productivity gains for long term attrition issues. Speak to us today.