More than a third of workers will be working over the Christmas period as they try to hang onto their jobs and ride out the downturn.

This is according to a study by the Post Office which reveals that 13% will miss out on their holiday entitlement as a result of working through the festive period. One in ten admits they are too concerned about job security to take holiday. Shift issues accounts for 33% staying at work whilst a lack of organisation and other colleagues booking the time off first has left 17% chained to their desk.

Workers in the food and beverages sector will be putting in the most hours this Christmas (69%), followed by retail (68%), insurance (66%) and utilities (58%). As expected, 49% of people in the emergency services and health care sector will be working over the holiday period, with a
whopping 61% of those people losing between eight and 11 days holiday this year.

According to the study 72% of those taking time off over Christmas will be relaxing at home whilst more than two million are heading abroad.