Yahoo Finance Brits want holidays more than a promotion, survey finds
Brits would rather have a holiday allowance over a promotion, new research suggests.
In a survey of 2,000 Brits, nine in 10 (91%) told travel provider eShore that the number of holidays offered by a potential employer is important to them when they are looking for work.
While salary topped the list, with 98% of Brits putting it as their biggest priority, holiday allowances ranked higher than pension plans, at 89%, and potential promotions, at just 78%.
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The study also looked at the effects on respondents after taking a holiday, finding that a vacation makes Brits healthier and happier, as well as better workers.
Two in five (39%) Brits said they had good levels of motivation after a holiday, compared to just a quarter (24%) of those who hadn’t been away.
About 43% also felt more productive after a holiday, compared with just 28% of those who didn’t go on holiday. This could be extremely beneficial to UK businesses, with Britain in the midst of a productivity crisis.
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What’s more, half (46%) of those who’d been on holiday reported having good mental health, compared to 34% who hadn’t, and 45% said they felt they had a good work-life balance following a holiday, compared with less than a third (30%) of those who didn’t go away.
This is particularly significant as Brits have the worst work-life balance in Western Europe and work the longest hours in the EU.
The research found several health and mental health improvement benefits to going on holiday, in fact.
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Nearly half (48%) of those who had been away said they felt good levels of happiness, compared with just 33% of those who hadn’t been away, and 36% who had been on holiday reported feeling good about their stress levels, compared with 26% who hadn’t.
Cross-referencing the study with the World Happiness Index shows that countries with more holiday allowance ranked higher. Finland, Denmark, and Norway make up the top three, all of whom have 25 days minimum allowance – five days more than the legal EU minimum.
The UK came in 10th place, matching the minimum 20-day holiday allowance.
