Despite the economic downturn, falling employment and the ash clouds more workers will be going on vacation this year compared to 2009 according to new research from the Institute of Payroll Professionals (IPP).
Over a third of workers (38 per cent) said that they did not use up all their holiday allowance in 2009, compared to four-fifths (81 per cent) of staff who plan to take all their annual leave this year.
The survey findings also reveal that nearly a third (28 per cent) did not have more than one holiday last year, compared to the one-sixth (16 per cent) of workers who are not planning to take more than one break this year.
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Mr Lindsay Melvin, Chief Executive of the IPP, said: “As the UK slowly emerges from the recession, more employees will have the financial confidence and job security to take time off from work and go on holiday.
“All workers have the right to at least 5.6 weeks’ paid annual leave and it is the individual’s responsibility to take the statutory minimum holiday every year. However, for those who did not take their entire annual leave in 2009, it is important to check with your employer to determine whether untaken days are allowed to be carried over to this year.
“As important is ensuring that you follow the correct procedure when booking annual leave, which varies from one organisation to the next. The last thing you want to happen, as you get ready to go on holiday, is find out that your employer has not approved your time off. If you have any questions, the best people to speak are your HR and payroll department.”
If you decide to book a holiday soon, Bob Atkinson, Travel expert from www.travelsupermarket.com, has provided some helpful travel advice. He said: “If you know what you want and need to secure your holiday dates then book early to avoid disappointment. This means you can get a deposit paid and secure your holiday without paying the full amount, which is a great option for families or people on a budget.
“However, if you are flexible in terms of dates and destinations then you can leave things quite late before booking. For the peak booking dates – which are during school holidays – you might be left with very little choice and prices that are higher than when the brochures came out.
“It doesn’t take much effort to book a holiday, but the benefits are great. If you work hard, I certainly think everyone deserves to play hard as well. Along with planning holidays in advance, it’s always a good idea to keep a day or two for last minute breaks and emergencies.”
