A Fifth of Holidays are Booked in the Workplace
A fifth of all holidays abroad are booked in the workplace on the company’s time; with employees taking advantage of their internet access for tasks other than working, says new research by www.sunshine.co.uk.
Many employees around the UK use their working hours for tasks other than what they were intended for, as new research by an online independent travel agency has revealed that a fifth of all holidays abroad are booked in the workplace, rather than at home in the traveller’s own time.
www.sunshine.co.uk carried out the poll after noting an increase in holiday bookings between 9am and 5pm on weekdays, when most people are typically at work. The site polled a total of 2,107 UK adults, each of who had been on holiday abroad in the past six months and who had been responsible for the booking.
Respondents were asked about their whereabouts when booking and their methods. According to the study, the most common place where people booked their holidays from was at home, with 42 per cent choosing to do so in the comfort of their own space.
Meanwhile, 21 per cent choose to book at work on the company’s time, 17 per cent will book when at a friend or relative’s house, 11 per cent book on the move through an internet-connected device or over the phone, and a small four per cent will pop into a travel agents to book their getaway.
Chris Clarkson, co-founder of sunshine.co.uk, said: “We’ve always wondered if the bookings we receive in what would typically be working hours were made by people at home or those at work who were supposed to be doing what they were paid for.
“To see that a fifth of holidays are booked in the workplace was a big surprise. Clearly, employees in the UK are taking liberties when it comes to their working hours and the access they have to the internet. My advice is to always book holidays in your own time, or else your boss might not let you go!”
Respondents were also given the option of selecting ‘other’ and, of these, 12 per cent said they booked their last holiday at work, but not on company time. Those who said they did book on company time, spent on average two hours doing so. When asked if their boss had been aware that they’d been booking a holiday at work, just four per cent said ‘yes’.
For more information, visit www.sunshine.co.uk
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