First published on Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Last updated on Thursday, November 20, 2025
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- What Is Leavism?
- Why Leavism Is Rising in UK Workplaces
- The Impact of Leavism on Employees and Employers
- Regulatory Blindspots and Legal Leverage: What Employers Miss About Leavism
- How to Identify Leavism in Your Organisation
- How to Prevent Leavism and Promote Healthy Boundaries
- The Role of HR and Leadership
- FAQs About Leavism in the Workplace
Leavism, when employees work during annual leave or personal time — is quietly draining productivity across UK organisations.
Coined by Dr Ian Hesketh (2013), the term captures the behaviour of workers who “keep up” by checking emails on holiday, logging in at weekends, or using paid leave to catch up.
Research from the University of Manchester shows that around 47 % of UK employees report experiencing leavism in the past year — a trend fuelled by hybrid work, digital connectivity and culture.
It’s not just a wellbeing issue. Leavism touches legal obligations under the Working Time Regulations 1998, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and the Equality Act 2010. Employers who ignore it risk claims, productivity loss, and reputational damage.
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What Is Leavism?
Leavism describes any instance where employees use their own time to do work:
Use annual leave to finish work tasks.
Check emails or attend meetings during holidays.
Work out of hours to “stay ahead”.
Leavism sits alongside related behaviours:
Presenteeism: working while unwell.
Absenteeism: taking avoidable time off.
Together they form a continuum of hidden productivity loss and workplace stress. Leavism is often mistaken for dedication but it’s really a signal of structural overload.
Why Leavism Is Rising in UK Workplaces
The UK’s modern work culture which is flexible but hyper-connected is fertile ground for leavism.
Always-on technology: Tools like Teams and Slack keep staff reachable 24 / 7.
Post-pandemic workloads: Smaller teams shoulder more tasks.
Job insecurity: Employees fear appearing replaceable.
Cultural norms: Long-hour heroics are still praised.
Leadership modelling: When managers work on holiday, teams follow.
These factors combined have created a culture of digital presenteeism, where employees blur rest and work without even realising it.
The Impact of Leavism on Employees and Employers
Employee wellbeing
Burnout and chronic stress from lack of rest.
Sleep disruption and mental fatigue.
Work–life imbalance, lowering satisfaction and motivation.
Organisational impact
Hidden productivity loss — overworked staff produce less quality work.
Increased turnover due to exhaustion.
Higher absenteeism and mental health claims.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) stresses that managing workload and recovery time is essential under the UK Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Prevent overload before it happens. Our Absence management software lets you record all leave types, upload proof documents, and flag patterns of chronic absence or post-holiday lateness that often indicate leavism. See how it works
Regulatory Blindspots and Legal Leverage: What Employers Miss About Leavism
Most HR teams don’t realise that leavism already intersects with multiple UK legal frameworks — meaning compliance failures can occur even when intentions are good.
Working Time Regulations 1998 — The Hidden Hours Problem
Legal context:
Under the Working Time Regulations (WTR) 1998, employees must not average more than 48 hours per week over a 17-week period.
The blindspot:
Most employers only monitor contracted hours — not the hours employees spend working during leave or “off-time.”
Why it matters:
If an employee works during leave, those hours count toward their working week. In aggregate, that can breach the 48-hour rule — even if neither party realises it.
Leadership opportunity:
Progressive HR teams can conduct “working time audits” that include leave-time activity (e.g., through IT logins or digital trace analysis). This positions the employer as compliant, data-driven, and wellbeing-conscious.
Duty of Care and Health & Safety Law — Overwork as a Risk Factor
Legal foundation:
The HASAWA 1974 and Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to assess and control psychosocial risks like stress and overwork. HSE mandates a stress risk assessment and promotes its Management Standards as a “suitable and sufficient” method.
The blindspot:
Few organisations include “leavism” or “working during leave” in their formal stress risk assessments, despite its clear link to fatigue and burnout.
The leverage point:
Incorporate leavism into HR risk registers and stress assessments. Record mitigation steps such as:
Blocking work access during holidays.
Enforcing full leave usage.
Manager training on workload and rest.
This goes beyond compliance — it’s strategic governance of wellbeing.
Record-Keeping and Audit Trail Obligations
Under WTR and H&S law, employers must maintain adequate records of:
Working time compliance (for two years).
Risk assessments and mitigation.
The blindspot:
Leavism is rarely logged, so there’s no paper trail proving compliance.
Solution:
Use HR systems to triangulate:
Annual leave data
IT activity logs
Overtime records
Flag discrepancies (e.g., logins during leave) as wellbeing risks, not disciplinary issues.
Equality Act 2010 — Mental Health and Disability Risk
When leavism leads to chronic stress, anxiety, or depression, these can meet the legal threshold for disability under the Equality Act 2010.
Employers then have a duty to make reasonable adjustments, such as:
Workload redistribution.
Flexible schedules.
Encouraged or enforced disconnection.
The blindspot:
Employers rarely connect “hidden overwork” to potential discrimination or adjustment failures.
Thought-leadership move:
Highlight leavism as an early indicator of future mental health disability exposure. It reframes wellbeing from “soft” to legally strategic.
The Right to Disconnect — Preparing for Future Law
Countries like France and Ireland have formal Right to Disconnect laws.
In the UK, there have been discussions and exploratory proposals about introducing similar protections, but no confirmed legislative requirement at this stage.
That said, forward-looking employers can still lead by:
Piloting “digital curfews” (e.g., no work emails after 6pm).
Scheduling communication blackout periods during leave.
Recognising these as wellbeing equity measures.
While there’s no legal obligation yet, organisations that voluntarily adopt clear disconnection practices can strengthen employee wellbeing, reduce stress-related risks, and demonstrate ESG-aligned leadership ahead of any potential regulation.
How to Identify Leavism in Your Organisation
Leavism can be subtle but measurable. Look for:
Employees logging on during leave periods.
Increased “carry-over” of unused annual leave.
Out-of-hours digital activity patterns.
Drop in creativity, energy, or engagement.
High-performing teams showing fatigue or disengagement.
Our Absence management solution automatically tracks absence and lateness, helping you see who’s working when they shouldn’t be. Request a demo to see how its reports highlight stress risks and support compliance.
How to Prevent Leavism and Promote Healthy Boundaries
1. Build a wellbeing-first culture
Redefine productivity around outcomes, not hours worked.
Openly discuss workloads and capacity.
Celebrate healthy work habits.
2. Create strong HR policies
Encourage and enforce full use of annual leave.
Introduce “right to disconnect” or “no email after hours” policies.
Include leavism awareness in manager training.
3. Model positive leadership
Leaders should visibly take and respect time off.
Senior managers should avoid sending out-of-hours emails.
HR should integrate wellbeing objectives into leadership KPIs.
4. Provide wellbeing support
Offer access to employee wellbeing platforms
Include wellbeing experiences, not just gym memberships.
Promote flexible working and workload transparency.
The Role of HR and Leadership
HR and leaders are the gatekeepers of cultural change.
HR teams should audit leave usage, track wellbeing KPIs, and communicate policies clearly.
Leaders must act as role models, taking visible time off.
Managers should be trained to spot signs of overwork and discuss boundaries with staff.
Embedding wellbeing into performance reviews, engagement metrics, and ESG reporting signals true commitment.
Measuring Success: KPIs to Track Leavism Reduction
Annual leave utilisation rates.
Employee wellbeing / satisfaction survey results.
Overtime and out-of-hours activity logs.
Staff turnover and absenteeism trends.
Productivity and engagement scores.
Use our absence management trend reports to visualise absence rates, post-leave lateness and overwork signals.
From Compliance to Culture
Leavism isn’t a sign of dedication — it’s a sign of imbalance.
By identifying and addressing hidden overwork, UK employers can improve wellbeing, compliance, and retention while building a stronger, healthier culture.
When employees truly rest, they return re-energised, creative, and committed — driving sustainable performance.
Lead the way on wellbeing and compliance. Connect our Absence & Lateness Planner to your HR policy today — automate leave tracking, catch hidden overwork, and prove your duty of care. Book a free demo now
FAQs About Leavism in the Workplace
1. What is leavism in HR terms?
Leavism refers to employees working during annual leave or using personal time to complete work tasks — a sign of poor workload management or cultural overwork.
2. What causes leavism in organisations?
Common causes include excessive workloads, job insecurity, digital overconnectivity, and workplace cultures that reward long hours instead of results.
3. How can HR identify leavism?
Use HR analytics to track leave usage, overtime, and engagement surveys to detect stress or fatigue patterns.
4. Does working during holidays count as working time under UK law?
Yes. Under the Working Time Regulations 1998, any time spent performing job tasks during leave can count as working time if the employee is effectively at the employer’s disposal.
5. Can an employer be liable for stress caused by leavism?
Yes. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Management Regulations 1999, employers must protect employees from foreseeable risks — including overwork and hidden stressors.
