Under pressure Britons missing out on holidays

As many as eight per cent feel unable to take a break because of work commitments, the survey from travel company Expedia found. And 15 per cent claim to not schedule holidays far enough in advance and so fail to take up their holiday quota.

Of those who do get away, as many as 26 per cent keep in touch with their offices while on a break.

Based on responses from 9,000 adults across nine countries including the UK, the survey showed that the French and Germans keep in touch with offices while away almost as much as Britons do.

But the Spanish and the French switch off more, ensuring they have a proper break.

However, not all Spaniards get the most from their holidays, with only 39 per cent saying they feel rejuvenated after a break compared with 46 per cent of Britons.

On average, Britons do not use up 2.5 days of a 28-day holiday allocation. In contrast, the Japanese get just 16.5 days of annual leave and only use up 55 per cent of it.