Writing for life

"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!

A shocking 13% of respondents thought that taking their holiday entitlement would be frowned upon by management and would affect their chances of promotion. Which begs the question: if you truly believe your company will penalise you for taking your entitled holidays, why on earth are you still working for that company? The fact that employees still think like this is a sorry indictment of the corporate culture that still persists in some Irish organisations. Thankfully the situation is improving, as more businesses realise the necessity, and indeed the desirability, of accommodating more of a balance between work and family life.

And here’s the main point: holidays are not a luxury – they’re a commercial, cultural and social imperative that serve individuals, businesses, the economy and ultimately the very fabric of our society.

If you don’t take a break from the rigours of working life, if you fail to spend enough quality time with your family and friends, and to generally unwind, your taking a massive risk. You’re on a slippery slope to burn-out and oblivion, and once you start down it, it’s difficult to turn back. Your performance ultimately suffers in all areas of your life: you become less effective at work, as a parent, as a partner, as a friend. Everybody suffers!

“Employers should encourage staff to take time off and workers should not lose sight of the importance of holiday entitlement,” said Aoiffe Curtin of Recruitireland.com. “Employers should be looking to ensure that their staff take at least one long break each year. The consequences of working in a high pressure environment without taking a holiday are potentially damaging to both staff and businesses. Employees are more likely to suffer from burn-out and stress, and as a result businesses are likely to suffer the costs of a depleted and unmotivated workforce and discontentment among staff.”

Thankfully, the majority us look forward to and take our full annual leave entitlement. As for the rest of you… what are you waiting for? If you have holidays left to take before the end of the year, take them… ALL of them. Forget about work for a while, take the break you’re entitled to and return revived, refreshed and raring to go. You’ll be glad that you did – and believe it or not, in most cases so will your employer.