The Common Phenomenon and Its Impact
While it’s a common practice, organizations must take steps to mitigate the turnover of employees who leave after their vacation period.
There are various reasons why an employee might choose to resign from a company, but using vacation days as a means to resign is an opportune time for employees to carefully consider their decision or to start a new job while physically and mentally refreshed.
Key Factors Driving Resignations
According to OCC, some of the primary reasons people leave their jobs include the absence of values and a negative work environment, as well as lack of recognition and monotony in daily tasks.
“Ineffective leadership and lack of recognition” top the list of resignation reasons, with larger companies being more affected. Low pay and limited growth opportunities are also common reasons for resignation,” points out.
The Silent Resignation and Post-Vacation Renunciation
Jessica Cambray, an Employability Coach, comments that the practice of resigning upon returning from vacation is quite common. This situation, though seemingly coincidental, highlights critical areas in talent management and internal work climate within a company.
“It’s somewhat linked to the concept of silent resignation, where employees initially take these vacation days not to use them but to start negotiating with another company,” she explains.
Global Workplace Report Insights
According to the Gallup report, State of Global Workplace, 23% of global employees feel committed to their work, while 59% are in a state of disconnection from work, intending to leave their company.
The report explains that in silent resignation, employees exert minimal effort and are psychologically disconnected from their employer. They are less productive, more prone to stress and burnout than engaged workers who feel lost and disconnected from their workplace.
Reasons for Taking Vacations Before Resigning
Cambray notes that many employees consider themselves undervalued in their work environment, prompting them to first take vacations and then resign. “Because during the resignation process, they’ve had negative experiences where their vacation days weren’t paid, so they’re trying to prevent this,” she says.
Meanwhile, Fiorela Forlani, ARS Outplacement Latin America’s responsible, indicates that vacations should be a time for reflection rather than just an entitlement for leisure. “Vacations aren’t necessarily a time to look for another job; they’re a time for rest. It can be an opportunity for self-reflection and self-analysis for each collaborator’s true desires, needs, motivations, and labor and personal career objectives,” she explains.
Common Reasons for Voluntary Resignation
- Lack of enthusiasm.
- Negative work environment impacting mental, physical health, and job performance.
- Lack of professional growth when the company doesn’t offer development opportunities.
- Overwork without recognition or incentives.
- Poor work-life balance.
- Lack of job stability causing stress.
- Working for a company whose practices don’t align with the employee’s values can be draining and demoralizing.
- A bad boss can make a worker’s life difficult.
- Low salary is a significant demotivator.
- Desire for career change.
Toxic Work Environment Leads to Resignations
Cambray points out that a returning employee who only resigns doesn’t necessarily speak ill of their former employer but exposes the work environment they’re escaping.
“People don’t resign during their vacation; they resign before that, simply planning it. They’re resigning from the wear and tear, mistreatment, invisibility,” she elaborates.
Forlani adds that lack of trust leads employees to make unstrategic change decisions, affecting the company in some way.
“To avoid or better plan for post-vacation deviations, it’s essential to create trustful environments throughout the organization’s lifecycle. Companies must acknowledge they operate in changing environments, so to prevent these unexpected alerts or departures, a planning process should be implemented,” she suggests.
Forlani further explains that if a company understands its employees’ satisfaction levels, it can make more strategic decisions regarding the opportunities available within the organization concerning vacant positions.
According to Adecco, a toxic work environment is detrimental not only to employees’ well-being but also to overall productivity and a company’s success.
“It’s no surprise if an employee wants to leave when experiencing this situation. When the workplace turns from a source of satisfaction into stress, it’s crucial to design an exit strategy,” they refer.
