Long weekend? Not for small business owners

'‹Almost a quarter of small business owners in the UK took fewer than five days' holiday over the last year with 15 per cent taking no leave at all, according to new research from Hitachi Capital Business Finance.

By The Newsroom

Published 28th May 2018, 08:31 BST

Updated 28th May 2018, 09:36 BST

Among start-ups, this figure rose to 31 per cent, with 19 per cent taking no leave.

At a time when most people are making plans for the long bank holiday weekend, Hitachi’s new research shows that whether by choice or compulsion, many of the UK’s small businesses will not taking a break away from the office.

Half of those in the agricultural sector took fewer than five days’ holiday last year, with just over a quarter saying they took none at all.

After this, the next most likely to have taken a maximum of five days’ leave were those in the retail sector (38 per cent) or the legal professions (22 per cent).

More than a quarter of female small business owners, took a maximum of five days’ leave, compared with 23 pr cent of male bosses.

Men were also more likely to take more than 30 days’ holiday than women.