leaveism

English

Alternative forms

• leavism

Etymology

From the noun leave (“permission to be absent”) +‎ -ism, coined in 2013 by Dr Ian Hesketh when researching wellbeing of UK police workers.

Noun

leaveism (uncountable)

1. The practice of employees using flexitime and other leave entitlement schemes to take time off when they are in fact too unwell to go to work.
2. The practice of employees taking work away to complete outside of paid hours, e.g. at home or on holiday.
   • 2020 July 1, Paul Stephen, “Mental health in the workplace”, in Rail, page 51:

     Allied to this is the greater prevalence of 'leaveism', where employees are unable to disconnect from work because of the increased use of technology.
     It occurs when staff utilise allocated time-off, including annual leave and rest days, to catch up on work obligations and to take work home with them that cannot be completed in normal working hours.

See also

• presenteeism