Are you about to turn on your OOO? Or maybe schedule in your next break? No? Still got to use up a lot of your holiday allowance? You’re not alone. While some of us have already marked out our 2018 breaks, can you believe that millennials are the generation most likely to miss out on their allocated work holiday allowance? In fact, a whopping 77 per cent of us only take a third of our annual leave. But far from the martyrdom you might think comes with that, new research has revealed you could be harming your chances of a promotion (and therefore a pay rise) by not taking a break.

Studies show that using your holiday allowance is the best way to boost productivity levels, and research commissioned by Hostelworld has suggested it makes you better at your job as it boosts productivity and your own experience within the workplace. Two thirds of those who’d travelled revealed their experience had helped them to understand what they wanted to do with their life, while 51 per cent said it was useful in figuring out where they wanted to go within their company, making them more focused and reliable. And that figure increased when employers were asked. Hostelworld found that over 83 per cent of employers said they preferred candidates who’d travelled.