11 Dec 2012

Are you taking a break this holiday season?

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Are you taking holidays this Christmas? Or are you one of the many Australians who are woefully poor at taking time off.

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I recently had two weekends in a row away. It was bliss, and I really felt recharged and ready to plunge back into the routine of ‘normal’ life, thanks to these mini breaks. This, however, is not the norm for me, as I tend to find every excuse under the sun not to take a break. And it seems I am not alone.

Australia recently ranked as the third worst nation surveyed for taking holidays, with the average Aussie taking only 17 days annual leave. Only the Japanese and the Americans take fewer holidays, taking 8 and 10 days per year respectively.

Our European counterparts are much more switched on when it comes to taking annual leave. France tops the list, with the average worker receiving 38 days a year, and leaving only 2 days unclaimed. Italy follows close behind with 31 days annual leave, 25 which are used; Spanish workers are entitled to 30 days and use 27. Even the English accrue 26 days holiday which most workers use within the year.

A study commissioned by Tourism Australia in 2005 took a closer look at unused accrued leave in Australian organisations, and found it to be quite a problem. They found Australians have over 128 million days of annual leave owing, which is crazy by any stretch of the imagination.

This of course prompts the question – why? Well, those surveyed cited a few reasons including saving annual leave for a rainy day or emergencies, stock piling for a long holiday or a lack of funds. One of the main reasons cited however, was work- with respondents feeling that they were either too bust at work or that they wouldn’t get the help they needed from their boss to be able to take a break.

It was these results that prompted Tourism Australia to launch the ‘No Leave No Life’ program to help employers to actively encourage employees to take holidays.

I think we all know, deep down, how important it is to take a break from work, routine, the daily grind, and to take stock of what is really important in life. Christmas is the perfect opportunity to do this, so I encourage everyone to take some time away from work and enjoy some quality time with family and friends. It is after all, what Christmas is all about.

How will you be spending your time over the festive season?

References available on request

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