Quarter of managers won't take a break

Asked why they were unable to take their full holiday entitlement, 34% blamed extensive workloads. Of those who did take a break, 39% still regularly checked work emails and 29% phoned in to pick up voicemails.

A further one in five claimed their holiday was a good time to "catch up on background reading" to do with work, according to the poll by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). Some even said they would exchange their holiday for cash if they could.

Jo Causon of the CMI 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."

Interestingly, three quarters of managers actively encouraged their team members to use their full entitlement.