Leaveism

Leaveism (Leavism)[1] is a term first coined in 2013 by Dr Ian Hesketh, a researcher at Lancaster University Management School in the UK, to describe the phenomena of employees using flexitime, annual leave, rest days and other leave entitlement schemes to have time off when they are in fact too unwell to go to work. He later extended this to include occasions whereby employees took work home and on holiday that they could not complete in paid working hours. Hesketh's research, which centred on well-being in the UK police service, sought to identify a lacuna in current thinking around Absenteeism and Presenteeism;[2] of which there is a plethora of academic study and commentary. The aim of his studies was to highlight that the true extent of sickness absence may be masked by the practice of Leaveism, and that there may be a hidden populus experiencing significant workload overload.

Leaveism[3] is the practice of:

1)employees utilising 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;

2)employees using these leave entitlements to look after dependents, including children and/or elderly relatives;

3)employees taking work home that cannot be completed in normal working hours;

4)employees working whilst on leave or holiday to catch up.

In a later paper Hesketh et al. explored the relationship of Leaveism with aspects of work-life balance, or integration as he preferred to call it; and the extent to which the practice existed amongst senior police officers.[4]

In support, research carried out by Gerich (n=930) suggested that fear of job loss or downgrading and low perceived job gratification appeared to increase the likelihood of the first element of Leaveism.[5]

Hesketh and Cooper are currently researching aspects associated with using time off such as Annual Leave, Flexitime and other Rest allocations to look after dependents, including children and elderly relatives; the so-called sandwich generation.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ HESKETH, I; COOPER, C (2014). "Leaveism at work". Occupational Medicine. 64 (3): 146–147. doi:10.1093/occmed/kqu025.
  2. ↑ JOHNS, G (2010). "Presenteeism in the workplace: A review of the research agenda". Journal of Organizational Behavior. 31: 519–542. doi:10.1002/job.630.
  3. ↑ HESKETH, I; COOPER, C; IVY, J (2014). "Leaveism and public sector reform: Will the practice continue?". Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance. 1 (2): 205–212. doi:10.1108/joepp-03-2014-0012.
  4. ↑ HESKETH, I; COOPER, C; IVY, J (2015). "Leaveism and Work-Life Integration: The Thinning Blue Line?". Policing. 9 (2): 183–194. doi:10.1093/police/pau029.
  5. ↑ GERICH, J (2015). "Leaveism and illness-related behaviour". Occupational Medicine. doi:10.1093/occmed/kqv125.
  6. ↑ MILLER, D. (1981). "The 'Sandwich' Generation: Adult Children of the Aging." Social Work 26:419–423. doi:10.1093/sw/26.5.419
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