Expedia: Holidays equal a happy workplace

It seems as though taking time off work and getting away from it all may be more important than many employees think.

According to Expedia, workers need to take advantage of their holiday allowance to get away from the office, even if it is only for a few days.

This is because it can increase their productivity when they return and mean they are happier in their work.

However, many people may now be choosing to stay closer to home because they want to be near the office in case of an emergency.

Jonathan Cudworth, head of product marketing at Expedia, said: Close-to-home destinations are becoming increasingly popular, with seven of the ten destinations featured in the Expedia Travel Hotpots Barometer this month less than a three-hour flight away from the UK.

This month, Expedia also revealed that 22 per cent of employees admit they have cancelled holidays because of work commitments.

A spokesperson for ClickAJob voiced concern that many employees try stay close to work for fear of losing their jobs.

Many employees not really taking a break at all, he said.

Anxiety about work has them logging in regularly over their official leave, often just to remind bosses that they exist.

As a consequence, they haven't really had a break and need a holiday as soon as they get back, he asserted.

Managers need to put staff at their ease to ensure that rest and leisure are really the effective motivators they're supposed to be.