Every organization presumably wants a workforce full of engaged employees. However, is it possible for workers to be too engaged?

Apparently so. A 2024 Perceptyx survey of 3,000 workers by employee engagement consultants found that 72% of respondents work to some degree throughout their vacations. As an owner or leader, your initial response to this might be, “Wow, those are some dedicated individuals!” However, the long-term impact of the practice can be harmful to both your “workationers” and organization.

No Rest For The Worker

For starters, when employees don’t completely step away from their jobs for a while, their brains never get a chance to rest. As a result, the fresh perspectives and renewed energy that usually materialize following an extended break never do. It should also be noted that the work employees perform while on vacation is typically rushed or half-baked, which may lead to costly mistakes and miscommunications.

In addition, productivity may gradually decline. Although working on vacation likely boosts an employee’s productivity in the short term, a workactioner’s long-term productivity may slowly drop off as the person grows weary and uninspired.

The most perilous consequence for workationers is that they never recharge and wind up burned out and disengaged. This can lead to or worsen mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. Some employees may even decide to quit.

Organization-Wide Effect

From a wider perspective, the negative impact of employees working while on vacations can accumulate to hurt your organization’s performance. Many leaders wake up one day to realize that their organizational cultures have evolved to embody the expectation that everyone must stay connected to work 24/7 — even when taking time off. This can lead to conflicts, resentment, and lower morale.

It may also reduce innovation and impair strategic planning. When no one is taking a real break, there are no opportunities to step back and have that “ah ha!” moment. Workationers on your leadership team might be unable to tear themselves away from the daily grind to help you identify growth opportunities.

And yes, there may be real financial costs. Widespread declines in work quality and productivity inevitably cut into an organization’s bottom line. Higher turnover means greater hiring and training costs — and even more lost productivity if vacated positions are left open for a while. Last but not least, don’t forget that dishonest employees who never disconnect from their jobs could be committing fraud.

How To Address The Issue

To protect your business from the risks of workactioners and promote a healthier culture in general:

• Explicitly inform and regularly remind employees that vacations are time off from work; you don’t expect them to check in or otherwise perform tasks
• Establish a written policy fully describing the boundaries that employees should adhere to when they’re on vacation as well as when colleagues are out
• Create support systems for employees, such as pre-vacation checklists and cross-training, so others can cover critical tasks while someone is out
• Prioritize mental health and wellness in your fringe benefits, HR initiatives, and communications

 
Finally, to the extent possible, lead by example! Although it’s certainly not easy for any business owner to completely disconnect, try to limit contact with your business while on vacation.

Real Risks

Employing multiple workationers may seem harmless or even like a good thing. However, it carries real risks. Now that you know about the problem, next steps might be surveying employees about the issue and discussing it with your leadership team. Contact us for help calculating productivity metrics and weighing the costs of initiatives and benefits aimed at helping workers maintain a healthy work-life balance.