In professional life, dedication is celebrated. It builds trust, productivity and sets an inspiring example. But what happens when commitment crosses into overextension? Recently, a case stood out: a team member worked for 365 days straight without taking a single day of leave. Working for 365 days straight with no leaves sounds so unreal.

A year without rest!

This is not something that should be left unnoticed, it was an immediate cause of concern for me. Following this notice, last week, I had a conversation with the senior management regarding the concern. Surprisingly, it was just mentioned as a footnote.

For me, it’s never just a footnote.

It’s a reminder of how dedication and discipline can be both admirable and concerning.

More Than Just a Footnote

• Are they overextending themselves?
• Does our work culture silently discourage silence?
• Do we celebrate endurance more than silence?

These ambiguous questions revolve around each leader’s mind.

As leaders, we need to:

• Celebrate dedication but also should have a balance of well-being.
• Encourage time off as a sign of strength and not as weakness.
• Build work culture where rest is recognized as a part of productivity.

Stories like these should never be sidelined. They should be at the centre of the discussions on how to build workplaces where dedication and well-being coexist.

The Silent Problem

The two possibilities in such cases are either they log off during working hours or they don’t switch off at all. Both the cases have to treated in order to ensure a sustainable working environment.

In the end, what looks like dedication may also be a quiet signal that something needs attention. Dedication without rest is like running an engine without ever turning off. Eventually, it overheats and the damage is far greater than the miles covered.

Commitment without a balance isn’t just loyalty but it is actually a quiet disengagement in disguise.

Quiet Logging Off

While being formally available and present, the person might informally be absent taking the breaks in between the working hours. Sometimes, it’s not obvious. The clock is running. Emails are answered. Meetings are attended. Yet, beneath the surface level, the mind drifts, energy drains and they quietly log off, not formally or visibly. This silently affects the work quality. What happens to the results might not just affect the certain person but also the whole team. If the output had been affected then there should be an introduction to a new policy. In this case, there wasn’t any interruption with the work results.

The Grey Area

The unclear and ambiguous space where a person decides to work for the whole year without taking any days of leave is unacceptable. Leaves are a part of the working compensation. One shouldn’t skip it at any cost.

When one of them is a problem, the other one is a grey area.

Should There Be a New Policy

As leaders, it’s easy to feel the urge to introduce new rules whenever a challenge arises. But a new policy can feel like a quick fix, a way to maintain order or like a way to prevent future problems. But policies are not just rules on paper, right? They shape culture, can impact trust between the teammates and also with the company, and affect how people feel at work. So, bringing up a new policy needs careful implementation as it may not really concern the other team mates. Enforcing rigid policies because of a single person does not sound fair.

Here, we checked in with the teammate and clarified the issue with the help of a honest conversation. Instead of rushing towards a new policy, a true leadership in action should ask: Is this truly a team-wide issue, or is it an isolated issue that requires only individual attention? A thoughtful conversation perhaps through feedbacks or advices can often address the problem without imposing unnecessary restrictions on everyone. It’s a matter of teamwork.

Do you have a remote team? What are the measures you take it if a similar issue rises there?