Sammie Ellard-King
I’m Sammie, a money expert and business owner passionate about helping you take control of your wallet. My mission with Up the Gains is to create a safe space to help improve your finances, cut your costs and make you feel good while doing it.
Nearly half of UK workers feel pressure to remain contactable while on annual leave, meaning they’re not truly resting even when they take time off.
A new report from Employment Hero found that 44% of UK workers felt pressure to stay in touch while on holiday. Among 18-34-year-olds, that figure rose above 50%.
The Employment Uncovered: Inside the Story of UK Work in 2025 report, published in December 2025, is based on 100,000+ employee records and a 1,000-person survey.
Sick Days Being Used for Rest
The burnout is so severe that workers are misusing sick days as the rest they couldn’t get on annual leave.
Nearly half of workers said they’d taken a sick day because they were mentally or emotionally exhausted – essentially using sick days as proper rest.
28% had used a sick day when not physically unwell, and 17% did so more than once.
Younger workers specifically used sick leave for rest and recovery rather than actual illness.
More news:
Millions of Holiday Days Going Untaken
The problem isn’t just that people can’t switch off on holiday.
Many aren’t taking their full annual leave entitlement at all.
According to Timetastic’s Annual Leave Statistics UK 2023 & 2024, 61% of UK workers didn’t use their full annual leave entitlement in 2023.
That’s roughly 20 million people leaving days on the table.
In 2024, 65% left some holiday untaken, with 17% leaving 5+ days unused, according to Breathe HR’s Holiday & Burnout Report 2024.
Average Leave Taken Down 12% Since 2020
Access PeopleHR’s Annual Leave Report shows that average annual leave taken has dropped nearly 12% since 2020 – from 38 days to 33.9 days (including bank holidays).
There was a 7.7% fall in leave taken between 2022 and 2023 alone.
Why Aren’t People Taking Holiday?
Breathe HR found that 57% of UK workers admitted to working either sometimes or often during booked leave.
VacationTracker’s research shows that 26% fear taking leave makes them look bad at work.
42% cited staff shortages as a reason for not taking holiday, according to Breathe HR.
The pressure to stay connected means even when people do book time off, they’re not fully disconnecting.
The Mental Health Impact
81% of workers agreed that not being able to take time off causes burnout, anxiety, and poor mental health, according to Breathe HR.
This creates a vicious cycle.
Workers can’t properly rest on annual leave because they feel pressure to stay contactable.
So they end up burnt out and use sick days for mental exhaustion instead.
Those sick days create more pressure on remaining staff, making it even harder for others to take proper time off.
The Under-34 Problem
Over half of workers under 34 feel pressure to remain contactable on holiday – higher than any other age group.
This generation is also more likely to use sick days for mental health and exhaustion rather than physical illness.
The Employment Hero report shows younger workers are particularly struggling to establish proper work-life boundaries.
What Needs to Change?
The data shows that the issue isn’t workers being lazy or workshy.
People want to take their annual leave – they just feel they can’t fully disconnect.
Employers need to create cultures where:
- Taking your full annual leave entitlement is normalised, not penalised
- Workers aren’t expected to be contactable on holiday
- Staff levels are adequate so people don’t feel guilty for being away
- Mental health is treated as seriously as physical health
Right now, Brits are so burnt out they’re using sick days as the rest they should be getting on annual leave.
That’s not sustainable for workers or businesses.
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Disclaimer: Content on this page is for informational purposes and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research before making a financially related decision.
