The majority (67%) of Top 50 independent retailers who replied to our latest poll claimed to have been able to have taken more than two weeks off work as holiday so far this year. However, although retailers may be taking holiday, they are failing to make the most of their full entitlement. Forty five per cent of respondents admitted they were not able to take their full allowance. One Top 50 retailer said that although he had successfully taken his full entitlement most years, he had been unable to take any holiday since April 2006. A Learning and Skills Council survey put the number of small retail business managers unable to take their full entitlement slightly lower, at 40%, but unlike The Grocer survey, it suggested that one of the problems was a lack of adequately trained staff to cover their absence. Some 24% of small retailers believed their staff did not have the right skills for the job, while 44% said they were prepared to invest in training. The retailers who responded to our poll, however, said they did not share these problems. Nearly 90% of respondents said they did not believe their business suffered while they were on holiday, and the same number felt their staff were adequately trained to cover in their absence. One Top 50 retailer said staff were in place to deputise in his absence and they also had the support of senior colleagues to fall back on. "In the main, I have the people in place to deputise in my absence," he said. "Support is readily afforded." Mike Colley, MD of CTN retailer Rippleglen, said that part of a manager's role was to ensure holiday cover is adequate. "I believe it is the responsibility of every manager to ensure the business runs efficiently while they are away," he said. "Problems often suggest a failure to train or delegate properly. Staff should take full holiday entitlement and failure to do so often has a far more detrimental effect than the odd problems that may occur during absence."