20% workers did not take any annual leave last year.
New figures from the CSO shows the most common barrier to taking time off was being short-staffed while 7% had their holiday request refused.
Despite 90% of workers being aware of their work entitlement, one in five decided against taking annual leave last year.
Managing Director of the HR Suite Caroline Reidy explains their hesitation:
"Juggling childcare, juggling people being unwell and people hadn't the opportunity for travel."
The research also found that one in eight employees with children had to keep their days for school holidays while 7% saved leave in case their child got sick.
Parenting Coach Aoife Lee says employees should check if there’s a protocol work for when they who need time off to mind their sick kids:
"Approaching your team leader or manager to kind of establish what it is that would be helpful - often if we don't ask, we don't get."
When asked in Dublin if they had struck a perfect work life balance, one woman said, "I'd rather work to live, but I live to work at the moment.
Another woman said, "I just work part-time - I do three days a week. So it makes it easy."
While a man who was asked remarked, "I work half-days now. Reclaiming my social life, my personal life and my recreational life."
The figures also show a quarter of workers aren’t aware of their break entitlements.
