Analysis: Nearly 40% of Irish employees do not take their full allotment of paid annual leave, with men more likely than women to do so
Most full-time employees in Ireland are entitled to four weeks of paid annual leave each year. This is in line with many other countries in the EU, and these four weeks are on top of 12 to 15 paid public holidays per year in many EU countries. As a researcher who has spent most of my working life in the US, I can only marvel. Two weeks annual leave and two to four paid holidays per year is more than many full-time American employees receive, and it is not unusual to have no paid time off.
Surprisingly, 35 to 40% of Irish employees do not take their full allotment of paid leave each year and, not surprisingly, men are more likely than women to do so. This is not exclusively an Irish phenomenon; many EU workers fail to take advantage of their generous annual leave. The question is why.
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From RTÉ Radio 1, do you take all your annual leave or are you a holiday hoarder?
Sometimes, workers who fail to take all of their annual leave days are taking advantage of organisational policies that allow employees to bank unused annual leave. Instead of taking four weeks this year, you might take two weeks now and six weeks next year.
A surprising number of Irish workers report feeling "vacation guilt" because their colleagues will have to take up the slack while they are away. This feeling can be particularly acute if the workplace is understaffed. Up to half of Irish employees say their teams are understaffed so employees who take their full allocation of annual leave often feel that they are making a bad situation even worse by taking holidays. Many employees fail to take their full annual leave because they fear that work will pile up while they are gone, leaving them with an insurmountable burden when they return.
A third reason for not taking annual leave days is the concern that you might not be as readily considered for promotions or good assignments if you are not visible in the workplace. Many employees who might qualify for remote working chose to go back to the office for similar reasons. Employees who are concerned about visibility might time their holidays so they are at work on the days their superiors are most likely to be in the office. If you know the boss makes the workplace rounds every third Monday, you will probably not take that day as part of your annual leave.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Brendan O'Connor Show, Pól O'Conghaile explains how you can more than double your annual leave by stretching it across bank holidays weekends
There are nearly 1,000 American-owned companies operating in Ireland so these employees might be especially likely to skip part of their annual leave givn America's well-earned reputation as a place where holidays are sparingly taken. Research suggests that American-owned multinationals are more likely to adapt to prevailing norms in the countries where they operate than to impose American norms and practices. However, knowing that your CEO comes from a country where it is not unusual to have no paid annual leave may make you nervous about taking your four weeks.
You might work in an organisation with a culture that emphasises a strong commitment to work, perhaps even to the exclusion of taking leave that you are legally entitled to. For example, the CEO of Marks and Spencer made headlines with a talk in which he criticised employees (even executives) who switch off while on holiday and suggested that talk of work-life balance was foolish. Elon Musk rhapsodised about the beauties of a 120-hour week so I suspect it is safe to say that he would not be a fan of a four-week holiday. Even if organisations like this formally allow you to take your full four weeks, there may be a good deal of informal pressure on you to take fewer days of leave than the law or your contract allow.
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From RTÉ Brainstorm, why workers don't like their HR departments
So what should you do if you feel you are being discouraged from taking your full allotment of annual leave? First, ask your HR department to provide you a written copy of your company’s annual leave policy. Next, ask them to provide written advice on how to respond if you are being pressured (formally or informally) to take less leave than you are entitled to.
You might even ask them for advice about which government agencies to contact if you believe your rights to annual leave are being violated. Employees rarely feel that HR is their friend, but these strategies might force HR to be in your corner, especially if they know that failure to stand up for their rights might lead to complaints to external agencies.
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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
