Holiday plans on hold in manufacturing sector

According to the latest research from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), many of the sector’s executives have postponed holiday plans and, even if they do go away, many refuse to stop working. The survey shows that 14 per cent of executives in the manufacturing sector will not use their full holiday entitlement this year, preferring to ‘carry days over’ to 2009. The finding comes against a backdrop of redundancy rates doubling, to 3 per cent, over the past year and 23 per cent of employers admitting their staff fear restructuring and job insecurity. The survey also indicates that ‘belt tightening’ is taking place at a business and personal level. For example, rather than spend money on a holiday, 29 per cent of individuals in the sector want to ‘exchange unused holiday time for cash’, but only 13 per cent of employers agree to this. Private healthcare is also sought in exchange for annual leave, yet only 2 per cent of organisations agree to the swap. Respondents in the manufacturing sector are also blaming a lack of support from employers for their ‘lack of rest’. Asked why they are unable to take their full holiday entitlement, 27 per cent cited extensive workloads. 30 per cent also claimed they have to use holiday time to care for dependents. Just 8 per cent said they have the option to give back unused holiday for flexible working options. The survey goes on to show that holiday plans have been affected by the sector’s executives’ determination to remain employable. For example, 16 per cent in the manufacturing sector use their holiday entitlement to develop skills making them ‘recession proof’, 52 per cent don’t want to let clients or colleagues down and 28 per cent are focused on ‘meeting project deadlines’. Even if they do go on holiday, significant proportions continue to work. The survey reveals that 33 per cent in the sector regularly check work emails and 31 per cent dial-in to pick up voicemail messages. 1 in 5 also argue that it is a good time to ‘catch up on background reading’. CMI director Jo Causon 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 holiday time to recharge their batteries.” According to the survey, there are signs that individuals recognise the value of holidays, even if they fail to follow their own advice. Three-quarters (75 per cent) of those in the manufacturing sector actively encourage team members to use their full entitlement and 84 per cent say it helps refresh their enthusiasm for work. Asked about the impact of their line manager going on holiday, 59 per cent see it as a positive opportunity to ‘take on more responsibility’ and 51 per cent enjoy the chance to ‘work more closely with senior managers’. For those that do make it away, Madonna, The Beach Boys and Coldplay were among the most popular holiday CD collections.