The Facts
In 2005 Tourism Australia commissioned a research study to look at annual accrued leave in Australia and the findings from this research suggested that this was a huge issue within organisations. Continued tracking since then and additional information collected, has continued to show that annual accrued leave is still a major issue for employers and one which needs to be addressed.
Key Findings
• For some crazy reason us Aussies have over 128* million days of annual leave stockpiled - that’s over 350,000 years of holidays.
• 1 in 4 of Australian full time employees are leave stockpilers (Roy Morgan Research)
Why People Stock Leave
• Insurance Policy - "What if" worriers.
• Workaholic - Too much going on at work to prioritise taking leave.
• Golden Goal - Saving for the 'big trip' or 'one day' type travel plans.
• Martyr - 'No one else could do my job'.
• Victim - Lack of immediate support from management in their absence.
Key Barriers to Taking Leave
• 57% of stockpilers consider work related barriers prevent them from taking leave, including concerns about work load before and after the event, lack of resources to cover and scheduling leave when desired.
• 80% cited personal barriers as the cause including lack of available funds, partner’s availability and deliberate accrual for emergencies.
*As of June 2012, Roy Morgan Research
