June Tinsley, 50, recently embarked on a two-week trip from her home in County Dublin to Biarritz in France, and used extra annual leave days on the family break
A mum convinced her boss to give her extra days of paid annual leave, which she used to go on a family holiday to France.
June Tinsley recently embarked on a two-week trip from her home in County Dublin to Biarritz. Along with her partner and teenage child, the 50-year-old drove onto the ferry at Rosslare, County Wexford, and kicked back as it bobbed down to Bilbao – a 90-minute drive from Biarritz.
The journey took 30 hours each way, which might put some holidaymakers off. However, because June’s company, Business in the Community Ireland, is signed up to Sustainable Travel Leave, she gets extra days of annual leave if she takes more sustainable forms of transport.
“While it is a long journey, we were going for a two-week family holiday, and for me, the holiday always starts the moment you board the ferry. Our destination was Biarritz in France, just 90 minutes from Bilbao. I availed of 1.5 days leave under our Sustainable Travel Policy, which is a great perk within Business in the Community Ireland and really speaks to the company’s values as well as my own,” June told the Mirror.
READ MORE: New Jet2 check-in bag update for passengers flying to popular European destinationREAD MORE: UK airport ‘security check’ alert to passengers carrying common item in luggage“On board, we played cards, watched a movie, and I checked a few emails using the free 90-minute Wi-Fi service. There are a few entertainers to keep children occupied, but my teenager is too old for that now. The journey outbound was very enjoyable. Having the full day on board ensured we all relaxed. The weather was good, so we were on the top deck enjoying the breeze and scenery.”
In total, June’s family paid £870 for return tickets for the three adults. “It was more expensive than a flight, but we didn’t need to hire a car,” the mum added.
June is a big fan of the scheme. “It rewards staff for being more environmentally friendly. Europe is so easy to get to and there are plenty of ferry routes available. Yes, it takes longer than a flight, but the journey itself is enjoyable,” she said.
Since its launch, more than 200 employers have adopted Sustainable Travel Leave, from charities to law firms, publicly traded companies and MPs. Some of the newest employers that have adopted STL include British Fencing, Steff Aquarone MP, CampbellReith, and Bates Wells.
A London–Berlin rail journey cuts emissions by roughly 92 percent but takes seven hours longer than flying. Through Sustainable Travel Leave, the additional travel time is covered by a modest leave allowance. If a lower-carbon journey takes longer, employers recognise that time cost, and reward it with additional leave.
Flying is often the easiest way to travel out of the country, but it is the most environmentally damaging. Commercial aviation is not only one of the largest contributors to climate change, but also one of the fastest-growing.
Aviation accounts for around 7%of the UK’s CO₂ emissions. This has consistently grown faster than rail, road, or shipping emissions over the past two decades and is projected to reach 16 percent by 2035, according to the IEA.
A large 2020 Statista study suggests over two-thirds of UK flyers want to fly less, but even highly motivated individuals are constrained by time and limited time off work.
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