BUSY executives in Yorkshire are failing to take up their holiday entitlement, a survey has found.

Fears of redundancy and pressure to deliver results are forcing executives to postpone their summer holidays – with one in three not expecting to take up their full entitlement.

The findings from the poll conducted by the Chartered Management Institute come against a backdrop of redundancy rates doubling in the past 12 months, and 23% of employers admitting that their staff are worried about losing their jobs.

The survey showed that cash-strapped employees were seeking to swap unused holidays for other benefits.

Some 32% of those polled want to exchange unused holiday time for cash or private health care.

But only 13% of employers would pay staff not to go on holiday while just 2% would agree to swap holidays for health care benefits.

A third of those questioned said blamed heavy workloads for failing to take their full holiday entitlement while 44% said they used holiday time to care for dependents.

Just 7% said they had the option to “give back” unused holiday for flexible working arrangements.

Some 22% in Yorkshire use their holiday time to develop skills making them more employable. Even when they get away, 40% of those questioned said they regularly checked their work emails and 33% checked voicemail messages. One in four used the time to catch up on background reading.

Jo Causon, director, marketing and corporate affairs at the Chartered Management Institute, said: “There is clearly a fear that ‘out of sight means out of mind’ – but without a proper break, individual performance can suffer and employers will notice mistakes more than they will absence through holiday. Individuals need to recognise this and use holidays to recharge their batteries.”