The annual leave report brings attention to the importance of taking time off
The farming industry has seen a near 12 percent drop in annual leave taken per employee from 2022-2023, a new report states.
It reveals that employees in the industry are not using their full annual leave entitlement, which means that they could be working over their contracted hours.
The annual leave report, conducted by HR firm Access People, analysed data from over 3,000 companies.
It states that nationally, annual leave taken has dropped by 7.6% in the last year - and by 12% since 2020.
The agriculture sector ranked on top in the list of 18 industries who gave up their annual leave, with an 11.85% drop in annual leave days taken per employee.
On average, employees in the industry took 35 annual leave days in 2023 - down from 40 in 2022.
Construction found itself in a similar situation with a 10.98% drop, and their average annual leave entitlement also dropped by 6.61% – the greatest out of all the industries.
The annual leave report brings attention to the importance of taking time off, which can boost employees well-being, motivation and job satisfaction.
However, some companies struggled with challenges like staff shortages and increased workloads, which has made it difficult for employees to use their full annual leave entitlement.
Charles Butterworth, managing director at Access People, said the number of employees taking their full annual leave entitlement had declined in all industries.
He added: “Workers across the UK are under a great deal of pressure with rising household expenses, work-related stress and personal commitments.
"It’s more important than ever that people take time off to rest and recharge – so that they can come back stronger."