The Hidden Cost Of Working On Vacation

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You’re sitting on a sunny beach, checking work email between sips of Mai Tai. Your body might be on vacation, but your brain is tethered to the office a thousand miles away.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Most people in a recent survey reported working on vacation. But not taking the time to fully disconnect from work comes at a heavy price.?

Our research shows people who worked on vacation, even voluntarily, were much more likely to think about quitting their jobs — and to actually quit — than those who didn’t. Stay or go, working on vacation robs workers of downtime’s scientifically proven benefits.?

As the leader of an HR analytics company that pools information from more than 20 million employees around the world, I’ve seen the difference in the data. And my own experience as CEO of a fast-growing tech company backs it up.

Here’s what I’ve learned about the dangers of working while on vacation, and how to convince even your most driven and committed employees to take a break.

Out Of Office – sort of

In our recent survey of 1,000 full-time workers, 56% reported working on vacation, whether it was as simple as answering emails or as involved as taking meetings and creating deliverables. Overwhelmingly, they did so voluntarily. But whether they chose to or felt they had to, it didn’t make much difference. Forty-three percent of those who worked even a little on vacation? thought about quitting. Among those who stayed very connected to work, 52% thought of quitting, of whom one-third actually quit.

These stats should be a wake-up call for any manager. We’re already in the midst of a labor shortage — with more than 1.7 open jobs for every job seeker and a “great resignation” accelerating attrition. Unfilled roles cost more than $60 billion a month in lost revenues in the U.S., alone. And working vacations are feeding that fire.?

Of course, even employees who don’t quit suffer consequences when it comes to burnout. More than 77% of respondents in a recent Deloitte survey reported feeling burnout. The physical, emotional, and financial price is considerable. Gallup researchers estimate that employee burnout costs $322 billion in turnover and lost productivity, globally. On average, burnout costs 15-20% of total payroll in voluntary turnover costs.

Why you need a mental break

Human beings need downtime to be creative, productive, and effective. The human brain isn’t designed for continuous productivity. We are physiologically programmed to need time off.?

You probably know that sleeping is important for your brain’s regular “housekeeping” — removing toxins, storing memories, regulating mood, and solidifying learning. But it’s just as important to disconnect from information processing and focused concentration during periods of wakefulness. One Cleveland Clinic psychologist compares the brain to a sponge — it can only soak up so much information before it needs time to dry.

That’s why vacation time is so important. You don’t need to spend two weeks in the Maldives to reap the benefits of cognitive downtime. In fact, even a weekend fully disconnected from the office can have restorative benefits.?

You may tell yourself you won’t work on vacation, but unless you put guardrails in place, it’s easy to find yourself checking email and Slack.?

How to banish working vacations

The good news is that there are straightforward ways to prioritize vacation time at individual and organizational levels.

1: Bosses, set clear expectations. Improving vacation outcomes starts with providing employees and managers with clarity around expectations. In our office, we value hard work but also embrace time off. In group meetings and one-on-ones, I stress the importance of disconnecting and encourage team members to make the most of their downtime.

Some leaders have employees create “go dark plans” designating colleagues to handle work responsibilities while they’re away. At a minimum, teams should know that vacations are meant for relaxation, that colleagues will help pick up the slack, and that they’ll have time to get up to speed when they return.

2: Vacationers, be deliberate. Humans are creatures of habit. You may tell yourself you won’t work on vacation, but unless you put guardrails in place, it’s easy to find yourself checking email and Slack.?

So let colleagues and customers know your plans. OOO reminders can reduce the temptation to check in, for example. Log out of work emails and chats altogether. The key is to have a game plan and stick with it.?

3: Leaders, model good vacation hygiene. Since so many people voluntarily work while on vacation, policies must be reinforced through culture. Setting a good example as a leader is an important start.?

As CEO, I place strict limits on the work I’ll do on vacation, and I make sure my direct reports take vacations seriously. Recently, I even kicked a high-level colleague off an important phone call that he tried to join from a much-needed holiday in Spain.

I also check in with team members after their vacations. Did they disconnect? Do they feel refreshed? This kind of vacay post-mortem can be as valuable as any project retrospective.?

4: HR teams, leverage people data. You don’t have to hide in someone’s suitcase to prevent them from working on vacation. The latest workforce tools and platforms generate insights using the people data you already have.

Polls and surveys help gauge employee sentiment. Advanced AI tools can scan company chats and emails for signs of fatigue and disengagement. By analyzing a combination of variables over time, you can identify trends in employee well-being, and check in with those who show signs of needing time away.

Finally, it’s important not to make assumptions. Not everyone quits after vacation because they opened an email. Some might have planned their exit before they packed their bags.

But by setting clear expectations, leveraging people data, and creating a proactive culture, you can clearly convey that vacation time isn’t a luxury — it’s a mission-critical part of the job.?

Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear what you’re seeing in your own industry, so feel free to pop into the comments below. For more news and ideas around people data in the workplace, be sure to?subscribe .

(A version of this post originally appeared in Fast Company .)