TWO --- WEEK BREAK GETS A DAY LONGER

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Two-week break gets a day longer
The traditional fortnight's summer holiday is growing longer by a day as staff seek to save money on their breaks, and then ease themselves back into work.


By Martin Beckford, Social Affairs Correspondent
Published: 8:00AM BST 08 Aug 2009

Increasing numbers of employees are taking two weeks and a day off before returning to the workplace on a Tuesday rather than Monday, experts say.

This allows them to enjoy a more gradual return to the daily routine and also the prospect of a shorter working week before the next weekend.

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And as more Britons use travel websites and budget airlines to book tailor-made breaks rather than going on package holidays, it allows them to come home on days when flights are cheaper and airports quieter.

Professor Cary Cooper, the Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health at Lancaster University Management School, said: "I think the reason more people are doing it is because they are working harder and longer than every before, and need two weeks to unwind. Then they come back to work a date late rather than go straight back and feel overwhelmed.

NOTE: the professorof organisational psychology and health at lancaster university management.

"I would recommend they do that, as a way of gradually getting back up to speed. I can see lots of psychological advantages."

He added: "Employers probably benefit as well because you can guarantee the workers will be looking through their emails on that last day off."

In years gone by, most families who took summer holidays abroad arranged both flights and accommodation through high street travel agents in one or two-week blocks.

But low-cost airlines and the internet have allowed holidaymakers to be more flexible in the length of their breaks, forcing hotels to accept more bookings for odd nights rather than full weeks or weekends.

Travellers can now save hundreds of pounds by searching for flights away from the busier weekends, with research by Travelsupermarket.com suggesting that a trip to Sydney returning on a Monday could cost £605 compared with £783 on a Sunday.

Airports and roads are also quieter on weekdays, while holidaymakers returning to work on a Tuesday can spend an extra day relaxing with their family rather than rushing headlong into the routine of work.

Stansted airport said Sunday night is still the busiest time of the week for arrivals but "the gap is closing" as more people return home on Mondays.

EasyJet said: "We are seeing increasing numbers of people travelling midweek-to-midweek."

Hilton Hotels said Sunday bookings for its UK rooms had increased more this summer than any other day of the week.

Duncan Barraclough, a travel expert at Travelsupermarket.com, said: "The key to getting the best deal on your flight is to be flexible. If you are able to spread your annual leave over two or possibly even three weeks and fly mid-week you are highly likely to save money.

"Plus, by avoiding travelling at the weekend, you will often find roads and the airport are much quieter, reducing the stress of getting away.

"On top of this, hotels have recently become much more flexible in their booking terms."

According to the TUC, as many as 3 million full-time workers will also have extra time off to play with this summer, after the Government increased the minimum entitlement from 24 days to 28 including bank holidays in April.

Paul Sellers, a policy adviser at the union organisation, said: "As holiday entitlements go up, people will want to tack on days.

"Coming back in part of the way through a week is obviously easing you back into work rather than going full speed from a standing start."

Ben Willmott, Senior Public Policy Adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, added: "Lots of people are doing this especially if they've had a long flight. Having that extra day to recover can be quite useful.

"It's much better to be realistic and take an extra day's leave, and from the employer's point of view it makes it more likely staff will be fully rested whenever they do return."


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