British workers 'should take more breaks'

British workers in all sectors, including those with finance jobs, could benefit from taking more time off, it has been suggested.

A survey conducted on behalf of Holiday Inn found that almost two million employees only take half of their allocated leave each year, while more than 240,000 have not had time off in more than 12 months.

As a result of this culture of long hours and few breaks, the study indicates that staff have been experiencing a variety of negative effects, such as demotivation and bad temper.

Alexi Hakim, chief operating officer for the UK & Ireland for InterContinental Hotels Group, said that the findings show "a workforce at risk of burn-out".

"Workers need to take more regular breaks and pace themselves to avoid the impact of [stress]," he said.

Meanwhile, new legislation set to come into effect in April 2009 will mean that employers will not be able to count the eight public holidays towards the EU minimum of 20 days off.