Leavism in the workplace

Leavism, when employees work during annual leave or personal time — is quietly draining productivity across Australian 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 a May 2025 poll conducted by people2people Recruitment found that 63% of Australian workers admit to working while sick.

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 and can also implicate legal obligations under the Fair Work Act 2009 (including the National Employment Standards), the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, and the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. Employers who ignore it risk legal claims, productivity loss, and damage to their reputation.

Why Leavism Is Rising in Australian Workplaces

Australia'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.

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.

Regulatory Blindspots and Legal Leverage: What Employers Miss About Leavism

Most HR teams don’t realise that leavism already intersects with multiple Australian legal frameworks — meaning compliance failures can occur even when intentions are good.

Working Time Regulations 1998 — The Hidden Hours Problem

Under the Fair Work Act 2009, full-time employees generally must not work more than 38 ordinary hours per week unless additional hours are reasonable. This can be averaged over a specified period under modern awards or enterprise agreements.

Why it matters

Most employers only monitor contracted hours — not the hours employees spend working during leave or “off-time.” However, authorised leave or absence is counted as hours worked under the Act. If an employee works during leave, those hours count toward their working week. In aggregate, that can breach maximum weekly hours limits — even if neither party realises it.

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 Work Health and Safety Law — Overwork as a Risk Factor

The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 requires employers to identify and control risks to health and safety, including psychosocial risks such as stress and overwork.

Why it matters

Few organisations explicitly include “leavism” or “working during leave” in their formal risk assessments, even though it contributes to fatigue and burnout.

Incorporate leavism into workplace risk registers and health and safety assessments. Record mitigation steps such as:

• Blocking work access during leave

• 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 the Fair Work Act and WHS law, employers must maintain adequate records of:

• Working time compliance

• Risk assessments and mitigation

Why it matters

Leavism is rarely logged, so there’s no paper trail proving compliance.

Use HR systems to triangulate annual leave data, IT activity logs, and overtime records. Flag discrepancies (e.g., logins during leave) as wellbeing risks, not disciplinary issues.

Disability Discrimination Act 1992 — Mental Health and Disability Risk

When leavism leads to chronic stress, anxiety, or depression, these may meet the legal threshold for disability under the Disability Discrimination Act. Employers then have a duty to make reasonable adjustments, such as:

• Workload redistribution

• Flexible schedules

• Encouraged or enforced disconnection

Why it matters

Employers rarely connect “hidden overwork” to potential discrimination or adjustment failures.

Highlight leavism as an early indicator of future mental health disability exposure. It reframes wellbeing from “soft” to legally strategic.

Right to Disconnect

Right to Disconnect was introduced as an amendment to the Fair Work Act 2009 and came into effect for larger businesses on 26 August 2024, and for small businesses (with fewer than 15 employees) from 26 August 2025.

This law gives employees the right to refuse monitoring, reading, or responding to work-related communications outside of their agreed working hours, unless there is an unreasonable refusal. The law covers communication from employers or third parties like clients, which include: including calls, emails, texts, and social media contact from employers or third parties like clients.

• Calls

• Emails

• Texts

• Social media contact.

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

1. Annual leave utilisation rates.

2. Employee wellbeing / satisfaction survey results.

3. Overtime and out-of-hours activity logs.

4. Staff turnover and absenteeism trends.

5. 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, Australian 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.

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 Australian 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 Work Health and Safety Act 2011, employers must protect employees from foreseeable risks — including overwork and hidden stressors.