39% of professionals took less than 50% of their holiday leave in 2010

Only 39% of working professionals utilised 100% of their holiday allowance in 2010, according to a recent global poll by leading recruitment consultancy Robert Walters.

The global survey of 1,700 professionals also found that 22% took 75% of their leave entitlement, 12% took only 50% and a further 12% took 25%. 15% of all respondents did not take leave at all.

In Australia professionals used less of their annual leave entitlement than any other country, with just 41% of respondents using over 75% of their annual leave allowance in 2010.

In contrast, Ireland had the highest number of professionals using their annual leave allowance, with the majority (87%) using over 75% of their annual leave.

Robert van den Oord, Country Manager of Robert Walters Luxembourg, commented:

"We regularly receive feedback from job-seekers indicating that work-life balance is an important issue for them and a key driver for seeking new employment opportunities. Employers who are looking to differentiate themselves in a competitive market and attract top talent should therefore focus on selling any work-life balance initiatives they implement. Organisations seeking to retain their star performers should also consider whether they are doing enough to offer work-life balance."

For more information please contact:

Jennifer Mertens, Senior Marketing Executive                     
Tel: +33 (0) 1 53 76 98 32
Email: jennifer.mertens@robertwalters.com

Robert van den Oord, Country Manager
Tel: +35 (0)22647 8585
Email: robert.vandenoord@robertwalters.com

The results of the Robert Walters global web poll are collated according to anonymous responses on the company website.