British bosses limit length of leave

Traditionally most workers take the bulk of their holidays during the summer season. But are Brits allowed to take as much holiday as they want at this time and just how many days holiday are they entitled to? These were the questions raised by the Monster Meter that produced the following results.

The Monster Meter asked, Does your company impose any restrictions on how much annual leave you can take at a time? 757 Monster.co.uk site visitors responded, revealing:

38% (292) There are limits, but personal circumstances are considered
36% (280) Yes, 2 weeks is the maximum
19% (149) There are no limits
4% (36) Yes, 1 week is the maximum

The majority of Brits, 78%, said their holiday was limited, but 38% admitted that personal circumstances were taken into consideration when requesting an extended break. Weddings, long distance trips abroad to visit relatives or sabbaticals were listed as reasons for acceptable long holidays.

Joe Slavin, managing director, Monster.co.uk, comments, The culture of working long-hours in the UK business environment means that holiday allowance has become increasingly relevant to ensure employee satisfaction, health and productivity. Although some businesses find it difficult to allow extended breaks, we recommend listening to the needs of workers and assessing reasons for extended holiday requests. At the end of the day, retention of the workforce, the most valuable asset of a company, is important and good holiday management helps achieve this.

When the Monster Meter asked, How many holiday days do you get per year? 1,761 Monster.co.uk site visitors responded, revealing:

43% (774) Between 21 and 25 days
31% (547) 26 days or more
16% (297) Between 16 and 20 days
4% (82) 10 days or fewer
3% (61) Between 21 and 25 days

According to the Department of Trade and Industry, every part-time or full-time UK worker covered by its regulations is entitled to four weeks’ paid annual leave; the leave entitlement is not in addition to bank holidays. Although Brits complain about holiday allowance when looking at other European countries, they are fortunate when compared to workers in the US or Canada.

A year ago, Monster ran a similar global poll comparing European and North American holiday allowances that showed the UK holiday package to appear generous. 75% of Brits said that they took 21 days or more holidays over the year when only 21% of Canadians and 13% of Americans received the same.

The results of the current Monster Meter are based on votes cast by Monster.com visitors from 5th to 19th July 2004. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation. The Monster Meter, a product of Monster, the leading global online careers site and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide Inc., is a series of online polls that gauge users’ opinions on a variety of topics relating to careers, the economy and the workplace. Anyone interested in voting in Monster’s current online poll may do so by logging onto