Millions of Australians could be risking their health by not taking their full annual leave entitlement from work, according to a recent Travelzoo survey.
The Travelzoo Australia poll asked close to 1000 people if they always used all their annual leave, with the results showing 55% didn’t.
This means as many as 6.3 million Australians may not be taking their hard earned breaks, which are proven to be beneficial for your health.
“Taking a holiday can have a favourable and lasting effect on your blood pressure, sleeping habits and stress levels. If you can find the time to head off on a long break and leave your busy work schedule behind, your body and mind will thank you for it," said Dr Sam Hay, Sydney GP and Embarrassing Bodies Down Under presenter.
“There's no doubt that after a holiday you'll come back to work more motivated, more productive, and definitely happier” said Dr Hay.
While most survey respondents weren’t taking all of their leave time, they were aware of the health benefits, with 98% of respondents saying they believed taking a holiday was good for their health.
“Nearly everyone we asked said going on holiday was good for their health and yet huge numbers of us are choosing to ignore our annual leave because we can’t afford a holiday or find the time,” said Brad Gurrie, Travelzoo Australia managing director.
Tasmanians were the least likely to always take their full leave allowance, while those living in New South Wales were most likely to use it.
In the battle of the sexes women came out on top, with men more likely to not take annual leave.
The poll also revealed that more than one in five said they had no plans for overseas travel within the next year, with affordability the major barrier.
“Taking a long weekend here or there is great but it can take a couple of days just to unwind. Australians shouldn’t forget about the obvious advantages of a long two-week holiday, or that restful feeling that washes over you when you jet off overseas” said Gurrie.
