"Working it" column published in the Career Moves section of The Evening Echo on 12/11/2007

A couple of months ago I wrote a column about a report that showed how Irish workers are dissatisfied with their paid holiday entitlement – and how other nations in Europe have much more generous levels of statutory leave. But despite that apparent dissatisfaction, a surprising 20% of Irish workers don’t even take the meagre holidays they already have.

While browsing the recruitment web sites recently I came across a report from May by RecruitIreland.com. They’d surveyed 500 workers, and found that 1 in 5 did not take their full holiday entitlement in any given year.

Come on people…. Why on earth wouldn’t you take time off that you’re a) entitled to and b) paid for?

Many claimed they were simply too busy at work to take the time off – which is of course nonsense. I don’t care who you are, work will carry on perfectly well without you for a couple of weeks. Trust me, you’re not indispensable. If you were hit by a bus tomorrow (perish the thought) your company might, if you are really popular, send a get-well card to the hospital. Then they’d get on with business as usual. If they can do without you in a medical emergency, they can do without you for a two week holiday!

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