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Planning a holiday, excitement ahead of a trip and time spent reminiscing once home costs employers hundreds of pounds per employee, according to new research.

Eight-nine per cent of staff admitted they were 'much less productive' before and after a holiday – with a typical break costing businesses an average £478 per person, due to time spent on trip-related activity. 

Brits spend about 32 hours in total thinking, researching, planning and daydreaming about a trip while in the office, the survey of 1,885 full-time workers by www.sunshine.co.uk reveals.

Unproductive: Brits spend around 32 hours planning and talking about their holiday when they should be working

All respondents who had been on holiday in the past year were then asked 'How much time, approximately, did you spend reminiscing about your holiday at work once you returned from your last trip?' 

The average answer given by respondents was six hours.

These results mean that holiday fever sees the average employee in Britain lack productivity for a total of 38 hours around the time of a holiday. 

With the average salary £12.60 per hour, the cost to employers is £478.80 per employee.

Chris Clarkson, Managing Director of sunshine.co.uk, said: 'As soon as you book a holiday, it's easy to get caught up in all the excitement and for the trip to be on your mind 24/7.

Chatterboxes: Planning, researching and talking about holidays costs employers £478 per staff member

'Researching activities that you can do once you've arrived at your destination, showing your friends, colleagues and every unfortunate passer-by pictures of the lovely hotel you'll be staying in and bragging about the trip you've planned can be quite time-consuming!

'People should be warned though that they're best off tying up loose ends at work and getting everything in place for their time away, or risk having to deal with a lot of stress once they're back. 

'Employers are clearly losing out due to staff members whose productivity levels plummet before and just after a holiday, so perhaps they need to keep a closer eye on those who will be jetting off abroad in the coming weeks to check they're doing what they're paid for and not gossiping about the scuba diving excursion they've planned!'