The Christmas shutdown & UK employers
Occupational Health Assessment Limited have delivered a wide range of virtual and face-to-face events throughout 2025. This series culminated in our December webinar timed to follow The Budget and to consider the continued challenges of the government’s access to work scheme.
Yet our last event also provided some other interesting insights. One was considering how many UK employers go beyond their legal minimum of bank holiday entitlements at the traditional mid-winter break of Christmas and the New Year.
The holiday question
With this in mind we asked our audience of 111 employers (representing more than 100,000 UK employees); How long is your company shutting down over Christmas / New Year?
To which our audience responded as follows:
- We don’t shut down at all: 43%
- We don’t shut down (but offer some free holiday to be taken): 10%
- From 24th December to 27th December: 00%
- From 24th December to 29th December: 43%
- From 24th December to 2nd January: 43%
- From 24th December to 5th January: 71%
Which suggests – unsurprisingly – that different sectors respond to the festive break in different ways.
Big picture
But looking at the results in the round it splits into three distinct groupings.
Almost a third (31%) of employers don’t shut down at all (albeit they must provide the statutory bank holiday leave or other compensation in accordance with the law). It is reasonable to assume that these sectors include those:
- That can’t shut down (for instance emergency services).
- Where a total shutdown is impractical (for instance machinery that runs 24/7).
- In retail and hospitality for whom the Christmas break represents one of the most lucrative times of the year.
A further 21% of employers offer slightly more down time or at least flexible extra holiday.
And then there are the lucky ones . Almost half (47%) of the employers asked were shutting down right the way across the festive period. Just under a third are off work from Christmas Eve until January 2nd. A further 16% benefit from a shutdown period of up to 12 days in total.
A missed engagement opportunity?
This final grouping of almost half the audience is perhaps the most interesting.
These lucky employees are benefiting from an end-of-year shutdown that may be up to 10 days longer than those in other jobs, and often without any detriment to their annual leave entitlement. This represents a very significant additional employee benefit. Yet it is debatable if all these lucky employees fully recognise and value their extra leave entitlement.
Maximise employee engagement
It follows that employers providing extra leave need to shout about it more. After all, this extra leave represents a genuine edge over some other competitor firms and employment sectors.
Employers should therefore endeavour to deliver this positive message each year to your existing employees and potential recruits too. It can only help improve retention, recruitment and employee engagement. And employee engagement is central to improved productivity also.
It follows that, if correctly harnessed, the Christmas break could represent an extra present for many hard-pressed employers.
About Occupational Health Assessment Ltd
Occupational Health Assessment Ltd is an SEQOHS Accredited and Certified B-Corp nationwide occupational health provider.
We provide rapid access to expert occupational health support for businesses right across the United Kingdom. Appointments are available nationwide within two days.
With a unique occupational health assessment service, night worker health assessments, fitness certifications and access to clinics in Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Northampton, Nottingham, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Reading, Sheffield, Southampton, Stoke, Surrey and more, the business provides high quality, expert medical advice.
Please contact us for further information or assistance.