Charity employees in the UK are taking fewer days off, according to a new study.
According to research involving 5,205 charity and NGO workers, the average number of annual leave days taken dropped by 6% from 43 in 2022 to 40 in 2023.
The 2023 figure is also lower than the 41 days taken by charity and NGO employees in 2021 and 44 in 2020, including bank holidays.
The Charity Finance Group (CFG) said the findings were “troubling” and urged sector leaders to encourage workers to book time off.
HR firm Access People, which analysed data from over 3,068 companies including 158 charities, reported that workers across all industries took fewer leave days on average in 2023, dropping to 34 overall from 38 in 2022.
CFG: ‘Most charities are doing more with a lot less’
Laura Millar, head of HR at CFG, said: “It’s troubling, but perhaps not surprising, to see that even fewer annual leave days were taken in 2023 compared to the previous three years.
“The reasons for this are varied, and each individual organisation will be experiencing its own set of pressures. However, we’ve noticed some common factors since 2020.
“Most charities and NGOs are doing much more with a lot less and we’re seeing many organisations expanding activities and services, either to fill a gap or create new, much-needed income streams.
“Alongside this, many of our members are telling us that recruitment remains a challenge. This means that charity workers could be covering extra roles and duties while posts remain empty, or putting in extra hours to ensure the charity’s survival.
“The shift in the way we’re working could also be making a difference. For example, working from home and flexible working means that annual leave is no longer used when taking time off for medical appointments, for example.
“Whatever the reasons for not taking annual leave, we would urge line managers and charity leaders to actively encourage their staff to book time off and use the leave they are entitled to.
“The resilience of our organisations depends on its people, and their mental and physical wellbeing are paramount.
“Burnout can be a very real possibility in these turbulent and uncertain times. We all have a responsibility to do all that we can to avoid it, so that we can continue to serve those people and communities we work alongside.”
Related articles
