FRS Recruitment Annual Leave Report 2026
More Irish workers failing to take their full holiday entitlements
- The 2026 Annual Leave Report by FRS Recruitment has found that 43% failed to make full use of their annual leave entitlements
- Approximately 3 in 5 people spent annual leave on foreign travel as Spain was the most popular destination for holidaying abroad
- Majority of respondents think annual leave over Christmas should be separated from your annual leave allocation
An increasing number of Irish workers are not using their full holiday entitlements, according to a major survey by FRS Recruitment.
The 2026 Annual Leave Report found that a total of 43% of employees failed to use their full allocation of annual leave days, marking an 8% increase compared to the previous year’s figures.
Research showed that approximately 3 in 10 people (29%) did not use 5 days or more of annual leave this year. This is approximately a week’s worth of paid leave. This figure has increased from the 2025 survey where 23% failed to take over 5 days annual leave. Additionally, 8% of workers had 4 days of annual leave entitlement left by the end of the year.
Many Irish workers are looking for their holiday entitlements to be more flexible suggesting that employees are looking for a better work/life balance. The majority (78%) voted the number of annual leave days should be increased as standard for employees in Ireland. In addition, most workers (84%) said that holidays taken during Christmas leave should be separated from their annual leave allocation.Meanwhile, over half of employees (56%) voted in favour of introducing unlimited annual leave.

Nearly one in five respondents (18%), reported taking more than a two-week period of annual leave. The most common responses were between one week and two weeks, with both categories at 37%. In contrast only 8% stated they took less than one week of annual leave.
Travel
The survey of approximately 300 Irish workers found the most common reason people used their annual leave last year was on foreign travel (64%). The most popular destination for foreign travels was Spain (18%), followed by Portugal (7%) and Italy (4%). Looking further afield 3% of travellers went to the USA, 3% travelled to Southeast Asia, and 2% holidayed down under in Australia. In total, 43% of survey respondents used holiday entitlements on domestic travel.
Irish workers also used their annual leave for family, health and personal reasons. The most popular cause being family reasons, with 52% using annual leave for this, an increase of 6% compared to last year. Around 9% of staff took leave for illness, unchanged from last year. Meanwhile, 36% took leave for personal reasons.
Holiday payments
The 2026 Annual Leave Report responses showed that over half of people (51%) chose to carry their unused annual leave over to the following year. This is a 10% increase compared with last year.
However, 8% opted for payment in lieu of unused annual leave, a marginal decrease from the last year. Meanwhile, 12% of respondent’s lost unused annual leave days.

The majority (60%) of people voted in favour for a four-day working week, even though it would impact their salary. These results mimic those of last year as they show only a slight increase (1%).
Speaking about the research, Lynne McCormack, General Manager with FRS Recruitment said:
“Annual leave continues to be a top priority for Irish workers when renewing their contract or looking for a new job. This allocation reflects a company’s commitment to promoting a healthy work-life balance and can be a deciding factor for many people when choosing an employer.
“There has been an increasing number of employees who are not taking their full annual leave entitlement compared to last year. This growing trend is concerning, particularly as workers juggle their personal ambitions in an ever-demanding working environment.
Additionally, roughly a third of people missed out on a full week of paid leave. Although half of employees were able to carry their unused annual leave over to the following year, 12% of people lost unused annual leave days. Time off from work is necessary for people to manage their wellbeing and these findings raise concerns that annual leave is not being used effectively.

“Looking forward, this research has shown areas for improvement while also showing a workforce eager for flexibility and new approaches to work. The majority of people voted in support of a four-day working week, even though it would impact their salary, as well as 78% believing the number of annual leave days should be increased as the standard. As employers tackle staff retention, listening to employees’ expectations and keeping policies up to date will become increasingly important.”
