More than a third of Kerry workers missed full leave entitlements

Over a third of employees in County Kerry did not use their full holiday entitlement, according to Radio Kerry. The 2026 Annual Leave Report found that 38 percent of workers in the county failed to take all of their allowed annual leave days. [1]

Nearly three in ten people in Kerry missed out on five or more days of annual leave, Radio Kerry reported. This figure marks a six percent increase compared to the previous year. The report also showed that eight percent of workers had four unused annual leave days remaining at the end of the year. [1]

Annual leave, which is also called statutory leave, is paid time off granted by employers that workers can use for vacation or personal relaxation. Most countries around the world mandate a minimum amount of paid annual leave by law. [2]

Radio Kerry noted that more than half of the surveyed employees in the county expressed a desire for Christmas holiday time off to be kept separate from their standard annual leave allowance. [1]