Workers urged to forget the recession and take a holiday

Employees who take holidays come back recharged and refreshed, according to one expert.

Gill Trevelyan, head of good practice services at Acas, said taking annual leave can help workers to “maintain a good work-life balance”.

It can also help them stay “healthy and well-motivated”.

She added that managers “play an important role in employees’ health, work and wellbeing”. They can set a good example by taking their full holiday entitlement and ensuring they have adequate lunch breaks.

Ms Trevelyan’s comments come after a poll by Teletext Holidays found more one in three workers is anxious about taking their full leave entitlement due to the economic situation.

It was also found 28 per cent of respondents are concerned they might be a target for redundancy if they take too much time off. As a result, 16 per cent said they may not take all of their holiday entitlement this year.

The average worker gets 20 days holiday a year.