Booking.com research reveals 2.4 million Aussies fail to take leave for over a year

June 2018 – As winter begins and the temperature starts to drop, global travel leader Booking.com sheds light on a shocking nationwide trend that sees the equivalent of 2.4 million full time working Australians have gone without taking leave for more than a year, with 86% experiencing burnout as a result of not taking enough leave

To start redressing this balance, Aussies are encouraged to make Friday 15 June 2018 ‘Book A Holiday Day’, coinciding with mid-month pay week for many Australians, by dedicating time to researching and booking a holiday or short getaway to benefit their health and wellbeing.

Booking.com’s new research surveying 1000 working Aussies on their annual leave habits and motivations exposes Australia as a nation of workaholics, with only 31% of workers using all of their annual leave days each year. Encouragingly, those who have children are more likely to use their annual leave showing that the family dynamic is driving holidays as they take breaks for key periods. However, over half have said more leave days would give them greater flexibility to spend more time with their kids.

Breaking it down by state, data shows that South Australians are the nation’s biggest workaholics with only 19% using all of their annual leave and over a third going without leave for 7-12 months. Queenslanders (25%) and Western Australians (30%) are also guilty of not taking leave for the longest period of 1-2 years.

On the other hand, New South Wales and Victoria are the most likely to take a well-earned break with 36% and 34% respectively stating they always use their annual leave allocation. Across the generations, Baby Boomers have had longer breaks without annual leave for up to two years on average, which is double the longest time Gen X and Millennials are willing to wait for a break.

The survey also uncovered a strong need for Australian workers to take advantage of their leave and take a break for their health. With the majority of workers experiencing burnout as a result of not taking enough holidays, three in ten workers admit to leaving work early due to exhaustion, while an equivalent of almost 1 million workers admitting to falling asleep at work.

Andi Lew, wellness coach and ambassador of Booking.com’s Book a Holiday campaign, experienced this burnout first hand last year when she had a minor health scare. Her doctor advised that he was very concerned about her cortisol levels due to stress and told her to take a holiday.

Lew said: “As a wellness coach I see so many people who are burnt out from their hectic schedules where they never take the time to switch off and this can lead to various health issues, both mental and physical. In fact, last year I was getting really run down at work, to the point where my doctor prescribed me a holiday and it was the best medical advice I have ever received. Ever since then I’ve made a conscious decision to regularly take a break and go on holidays to ensure my mind and body is well rested.”

Aussie workers are demanding more leave from their bosses, declaring they don’t have enough paid annual leave days. Key reasons for this desire include: wanting to feel refreshed and working more effectively (56%); having enough time to de-stress from work and look after their health (55%); and to have more time to travel (54%).

Luke Wilson, Booking.com spokesperson for Australia said: “There are countless benefits of travel to simply take time off to explore, be inspired or unplug, whether for two weeks or two days, switching off and taking care of your health and wellbeing is a number one priority. At Booking.com, we’re committed to meeting everyone’s travel needs at any time or any place to be a one-stop travel destination for people to embrace meaningful and restorative travel time.”

Aussies can research and book their next getaway on Book a Holiday Day 15 June, 2018 here: www.booking.com/bookaholidayday

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CONTACT DETAILS: 

For further information, contact the Booking.com Australia Press Office; bookingau@redagency.com.au

About Booking.com:

Established in 1996 in Amsterdam, Booking.com B.V. has grown from a small Dutch start-up to one of the largest travel e-commerce companies in the world. Part of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), Booking.com now employs more than 17,000 employees in 198 offices in 70 countries worldwide.

With a mission to empower people to experience the world, Booking.com invests in digital technology that helps take the friction out of travel. At Booking.com, we connect travellers with the world’s largest selection of incredible places to stay, including everything from apartments, vacation homes, and family-run B&Bs to 5-star luxury resorts, tree houses and even igloos. The Booking.com website and mobile apps are available in 43 languages, offer over 27 million total reported listings and cover more than 130,000 destinations in 227 countries and territories worldwide.

Each day, more than 1.5 million room nights are reserved on our platform. So whether traveling for business or leisure, customers can instantly book their ideal place to stay quickly and easily with Booking.com, without booking fees and backed up by our promise to price match. Via our customer experience team, customers can reach Booking.com 24/7 for assistance and support in 43 languages, any time of the day or night.

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Editor’s notes

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1000 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 14 and 17 May, 2018. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).