The \u2018right to switch off\u2019 looks different for everyone<\/a><\/p>\nOne in five (19 per cent) said they actively encouraged colleagues or clients to reach out during leave, while 17 per cent kept work notifications on their personal devices switched on.<\/p>\n
\u200bThe holiday hustle<\/p>\n
Developments in workplace technology and communication apps are blurring the boundary between rest and work.\u00a0<\/p>\n
More than half (53 per cent) of workers surveyed said they check their emails while on holiday, spending an average of 1.5 hours in their inbox each week. Additionally, 44 per cent check work-related messages on platforms such as Slack and Teams.<\/p>\n
In addition to checking messages, workers are dedicating their downtime to other work-related tasks. On average, 42 per cent spent 19 minutes a day on work-related research while on holiday, 36 per cent attended meetings and 39 per cent reviewed colleagues\u2019 work.<\/p>\n
\u200bWhy can\u2019t we switch off?<\/p>\n
For many, the issue is psychological \u2013 with 17 per cent admitting they struggle to disconnect. Others admitted to working strategically, with 15 per cent saying it helps them keep on top of targets, while 11 per cent cited direct pressure from their employer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Concerns over client loss, guilt about being unavailable, and inadequate cover at work were also raised by 10 per cent of respondents.<\/p>\n
Leavism often stems from wider organisational pressures, according to Christina Butler, professor of management at Kingston Business School. \u201cLeavism is a multifaceted phenomenon,\u201d she said, \u201cwhich arises from a combination of organisational culture, organisational leadership and technological advances.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jennifer Leeder, partner in the employment and immigration team at law firm Birketts LLP, added that much of the behaviour is shaped by workplace culture.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough leavism is driven by a mix of culture, leadership and tech, the tone in an organisation is set by leadership,\u201d she said. \u200b\u201cIf always-on behaviour is normalised by leadership, employees will feel pressure to stay connected when they\u2019re on holiday. This, in turn, undermines the wellbeing of employees and increases the risk of burnout.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u200bThe knock-on effect of leavism<\/p>\n
A culture of leavism can create retention problems for businesses. Around 10 per cent of those surveyed said they had quit their jobs because of pressure to work while on annual leave.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To address leavism, organisations need to create a culture where time off is genuinely respected, according to Nicola Weatherhead, vice president of people at TotalJobs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t just about wellbeing, it\u2019s a strategic move to attract and retain quality talent. Including clear, visible annual leave policies in job ads, and fostering a culture that supports time off signals to candidates that their time is valued,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
This pressure is also influencing how people approach their careers. More than a third (37 per cent) say they now prioritise employers who respect annual leave when job hunting, while 21 per cent avoid roles with vague or unclear policies.<\/p>\n
\u200bAlan Price, CEO at HR software company BrightHR, advised business leaders to set the right example by resisting the urge to respond to emails or messages while off. Scheduling meetings before and after holiday to cover work and catch up on progress, can also be useful, while contacting someone on leave should be reserved for genuine emergencies when they are the only person capable of solving the problem.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s time we normalised taking time to unplug,\u201d he said. \u201cThis way, we can build up burnout resilience and protect our physical and mental health in the process. Sometimes all it takes is a few days\u2019 rest.\u201d<\/p>\n
For further information, refer to the CIPD\u2019s thought leadership article on the legal right to disconnect and its impact on the \u2018always-on\u2019 culture.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The beach might be calling, but so are Teams meetings, emails and Slack notifications. A rising number of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":96945,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[64,63,99,180],"class_list":{"0":"post-96944","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-jobs","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-business","11":"tag-jobs"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96944","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96944"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96944\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96944"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96944"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96944"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}