More than a quarter of UK employees are failing to take at least three weeks of annual leave each year, as concerns grow over burnout, stress and overwork across the workforce.
New data from leave management platform Timetastic found that 26 percent of workers finished the year with more than 15 days of unused leave remaining.
By contrast, only 18 percent used their full annual entitlement despite UK employees being legally entitled to 28 days of leave including bank holidays.
It comes as Google searches for “signs of burnout” rose by 150 percent over the past year, reflecting growing concern over workplace pressure and mental wellbeing.
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Workers ‘struggling to switch off’
The research, based on analysis of more than 180,000 employees, suggested many workers continued to feel unable to fully disconnect from work even when entitled to time off.
Sarah Crammond, customer success expert at Timetastic, said failing to take leave was damaging both employee wellbeing and organisational performance. “Taking time off isn’t just a perk; it’s essential for productivity, creativity, and mental wellbeing.
“But many workers still feel unable to fully switch off, which is having a major effect on employee engagement, long-term business performance, and overall wellbeing.”
The data also revealed that even booked leave often did not go ahead. Nearly one in five holidays scheduled through the platform in 2025 were eventually cancelled despite being booked more than four months in advance on average.
Workplace culture blamed for unused leave
Dr Ravi Gill, a psychologist at mental health consultancy Smart Mind Health, said feelings of guilt and pressure remained major barriers preventing employees from taking time off.
“One of the most common barriers is workplace guilt. Many employees feel they are letting their team down or increasing pressure on colleagues by being absent.”
She said the issue was particularly common in demanding roles where employees felt strong personal responsibility towards their teams and workloads.
Gill also warned that workplace cultures rewarding constant availability were contributing to the problem. “Another key barrier is presenteeism culture, which is the belief that being constantly available equates to being committed or high-performing.
“In environments where overwork is normalised or subtly rewarded, taking leave can feel like a sign of weakness or lack of dedication. The ‘hustle culture’ within modern society promotes this.”
Burnout risks continue to rise
The report warned that regularly skipping annual leave could have serious long-term effects on mental and physical health.
Gill said time away from work played an important role in allowing stress levels to recover. “Taking annual leave is essential for psychological recovery as work places ongoing demands on the mind and body, activating stress systems.”
“Time off allows these systems to return to baseline, reducing physiological strain. Without adequate recovery, stress accumulates and can lead to longer-term health consequences.”
She added that a lack of recovery time was strongly linked to burnout and emotional exhaustion. “Not taking regular leave increases the risk of burnout, which leads to emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and reduced personal accomplishment.
“Research consistently shows that insufficient recovery time is a major predictor of burnout, as individuals are not given the opportunity to replenish depleted emotional and cognitive resources.”
Employees also losing money through unused leave
The research suggested the problem also carried a financial cost for workers. Employees at organisations where untaken leave cannot be carried over could effectively lose part of their earnings if they failed to use their entitlement.
According to the analysis, someone earning £30,000 who leaves 15 days unused could forfeit more than £1,700 in value, while an employee earning £60,000 could lose over £3,500.
Crammond said repeated holiday cancellations could indicate wider organisational problems such as understaffing or poor workload management. “Frequent holiday cancellations can sometimes indicate deeper workplace issues, such as understaffing or an inability for employees to step away from their responsibilities, which need to be addressed.”
“By identifying patterns in cancelled leave, businesses can uncover where teams may be under pressure or lacking adequate cover, and take steps to resolve this.”
William Furney is a Managing Editor at Black and White Trading Ltd based in Kingston upon Hull, UK. He is a prolific author and contributor at Workplace Wellbeing Professional, with over 127 published posts covering HR, employee engagement, and workplace wellbeing topics. His writing focuses on contemporary employment issues including pension schemes, employee health, financial struggles affecting workers, and broader workplace trends.
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
