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Nationally, annual leave taken has dropped by 7.6% in the last year – and by 12% since 2020.
The annual leave report brings attention to the importance of taking time off, which can boost employees well-being, motivation and job satisfaction.
However, some companies struggled with challenges like staff shortages and increased workloads, which has made it difficult for employees to use their full annual leave entitlement.
The retail and wholesale sector ranked 16th in the list of 18 industries who gave up their annual leave. On average, employees in the industry took 35 annual leave days in 2023 – down from 37 in 2022.
The agriculture, forestry and fishing industry was the worst off, with an 11.85% drop in annual leave days taken per employee.
The construction industry found itself in a similar situation with a 10.98% drop, and their average annual leave entitlement also dropped by 6.61% – the greatest out of all the industries.
The top industries with the biggest decline in annual leave days taken:
| Industry | Annual leave days taken (2022-2023) |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | -11.85% |
| Construction | -10.98% |
| Financial and insurance activities | -9.11% |
| Education | -8.89% |
| Transportation and storage | -8.51% |
| Accommodation and food service activities | -8.27% |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | -8.21% |
| Information and communication | -7.92% |
| Recruitment | -7.07% |
| Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply (utilities) | -6.63% |
| Arts, entertainment & recreation | -6.53% |
| NGO/Charity | -6.04% |
| Manufacturing | -5.79% |
| Real estate | -5.06% |
| Human health and social work | -4.42% |
| Retail & Wholesale | -4.32% |
| Administrative and support services | -1.84% |
| Water supply, sewage, waste management | -0.77% |
Charles Butterworth, managing director at Access People, said: “Workers across the UK are under a great deal of pressure with rising household expenses, work-related stress and personal commitments.
“It’s more important than ever that people take time off to rest and recharge – so that they can come back stronger.”
