How leaveism is damaging employees' health

If you’ve ever taken annual leave instead of calling in sick or quickly checked your emails when relaxing on holiday, you’re not alone. Leaveism – working outside of contracted hours or using annual leave to work or when ill – is becoming increasingly common. In fact, as many as 70% of employers have noticed this kind of behaviour, according to research by the CIPD.

The phenomenon was first coined in 2013 by Professor Cary Cooper, an organisational psychologist at the University of Manchester, and Dr Ian Hesketh of the National Wellbeing forum at Alliance Business School. But since leaveism was given an official name, it has become increasingly common in the workplace.

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So why are we finding it so hard to just take time off when we’re unwell - or to stop working outside of our office hours?

The lines between our work and personal lives are blurry. The shift to home-working means that we’re more likely to think about work when we should be switching off, with more than a third of workers spending more time outside of contracted hours sending emails.

Half of all workers say that their work is getting more intense and demanding – and it’s not just ‘hustle culture’ that is to blame. Staff shortages – especially in healthcare and education – mean fewer people are shouldering more responsibilities.

Work intensification is also being driven by the increased use of surveillance technology and algorithmic management, which often sets unrealistic productivity targets. Also, with jobs-for-life largely a thing of the past, it’s easy to see why we feel pressured to over-perform to try to secure our jobs.

So, with workers being required to do more in the same amount of time, it’s easy to see why people turn to leaveism. However, the consequences of rarely taking time off are far reaching.

As well as stress, anxiety and depression, other long-term health conditions have been linked to overwork, such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, digestive problems and autoimmune disease are just some of the associated problems.

According to a World Heath Organization study, working 55 or more hours per week is associated with an estimated 35% higher risk of a stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease.

Work culture often to blame for leaveism

The problem is, most workers know that the extra hours are having a detrimental impact on their health - but they don’t feel able to push back against management. Ed Johnson, CEO and co-founder of the mentoring and career progression platform PushFar, says it’s usually a problem that stems from fundamental issues with company culture.

“There are some geographies and societies where it happens more widely, but if we look at the UK - where annual leave is widely recognised as totally acceptable and important for downtime - we do see leaveism happening when an organisation or company's culture is fundamentally broken,” he says.

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“The root of this can often be resource and capacity. People will take time off in order to catch-up on a backlog of work or through burnout.”

Working from home has further fuelled the issue, adds Johnson. “The difference between working from home and taking annual leave has blurred,” he explains. “The expectation that people should reply to emails on holiday, out of hours or at weekends is wrong, but some organisations will put pressure on employees to do so all the same.”

Time-off isn’t a luxury, it is a requirement

If you feel pressured to work out-of-hours, it’s important to think about the impact this could be having on your health. Rest and relaxation isn’t just a luxury, it’s essential because it helps to balance our hormones, says GP Dr Hana Patel.

When we’re overworked and stressed, our bodies release stress hormones like cortisol which alter the way our immune and digestive systems function.

While short bursts of stress are normal and are a survival mechanism - for example, if we spot a car hurtling towards us, these hormones allow us to react quickly and jump to safety - having consistently high levels is associated with health problems like hypertension. By resting, though, we can balance our hormones so our bodies can “restore, grow and repair” and stay healthy, says Patel.

Sometimes, we’re so used to checking our emails when we’re in bed or watching TV, it becomes second nature to us. However, putting firm boundaries around your working hours can help break this habit. And if you really can’t stop reaching for your phone, hide it.

“For individuals, it is really important to understand what the organisation you are working for expects of you and that there are clear boundaries between work and your free time, holiday and leave days,” says Johnson. “Start and end times in a working day are important to enforce.”

It’s not always possible, but if you feel able to speak to your manager about being overwhelmed with your workload, it can help.

Employers need to set clear expectations

And perhaps most importantly, employers need to give employees a clear directorate on expectations. It’s important for managers to switch off and take holidays, so they set an example for their staff.

“Be aware of not ever making anybody feel guilty about taking a break, even if simply said in jest,” says Johnson. “Phrases like ‘Off on holiday again?’ can seem playful but can make employees feel awkward and uncomfortable, unnecessarily.”

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The term “leaveism” was coined in 2013 to explain some previously undescribed workplace practices, such as:

● Using allocated time off such as annual leave entitlements, flexi hours banked, re-rostered rest days and so on, to take time off when they are in fact unwell

● Using these leave entitlements to look after dependents, including children or elderly relatives (rather than for rest and recuperation)

● Taking work home that cannot be completed in normal working hours (due to excessive workload)

● Working while not at work, on leave or holiday to catch up (or keep up)

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