Carnival Cruise Line’s research has revealed Aussies are wasting a third (33 per cent) of their annual leave allowance on life admin tasks, at the expense of having fun – creating a scenario called the ‘time off trap’.
The research also found:
- More than half (54 per cent) of employed Australians admit to using their annual leave for life admin in the last two years, rising to 63 per cent for millennials and 61 per cent for parents.
- Time to play and switch off is instead being swallowed by housework and chores (50 per cent), running errands (42 per cent), emails and bills (40 per cent), attending appointments (37 per cent).
The problem is even clearer in NSW and Queensland, where the calendar offers fewer chances to properly switch off. In a standard year, residents in Queensland receive 11.5 days and NSW receive 11 days, compared to up to 13 days in Victoria and the ACT. NSW still falls short even with the recent announcement of the additional ANZAC Day public holiday for 2026 and 2027.
For many Aussies, public holidays are sacred as 54 per cent agree they are the only time they can truly switch off ‘because everyone else is on leave too’.
“Cruising is a great way to escape the Time Off Trap, to really switch off from those day-to-day responsibilities and just have FUN,” Carnival Cruise Line assistant vice president sales & marketing Anton Loeb said.
“Aussies find value in shorter getaways that require minimal annual leave, and we’ve recently increased our short break sailings to meet growing demand for this type of holiday.”
Now, Sydney media personality Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli and Queensland rugby league legend Sam Thaiday have teamed up with Carnival to encourage Aussies to fight for more permission to play to ensure Aussies make the most of their days off.
“I think a lot of Aussies are caught in this Time Off Trap,” Wippa said. “Annual leave is for fun and play, but too often it turns into the boring stuff. I’m guilty of it myself! We work hard to earn our leave; we should be using it to properly switch off. We need to commit to play.”
“I’ve learned that taking leave isn’t just about ticking things off a list,” Thaiday said. “I need to consciously step back and enjoy myself, whether it’s playing basketball, fishing, spending time with family or just kicking my feet up. If we work hard, we should also play hard.”
To help Aussies unwind and protect their precious annual leave, Carnival has launched a downloadable Play Away toolkit. From a custom ‘Play Mode’ do-not-disturb setting to a tongue-in-cheek ‘can’t come to the phone right now’ voicemail script, the tools have been designed to help Aussies lobby their family, friends and even their bosses for more permission to play.
Aussies ready to escape the Time Off Trap can download the toolkit and enter for the chance to ‘play away’ and win a 4-night cruise from Sydney or Brisbane at the website.
