‘Over-availability’ expectations causing loyalty drains

New research has revealed the impacts that workers face in navigating their right to disconnect – including risks of turnover and loyalty issues – highlighting the need for more collaboration.

New research from Indeed found that three in five (60 per cent) workers reported struggling to disconnect from work. Workplace psychologist at Indeed, Amanda Gordon (pictured), said that despite national right-to-disconnect legislation, many “workers still can’t switch off”.

“The right to disconnect isn’t anti-productivity, it’s about sustainability and risk management. Chronic over-availability drives burnout, mistakes, and turnover, all of which are costly for organisations,” Gordon said.

‘Boundaryless employers’

This data was unearthed in an online survey conducted by Indeed between 17 and 24 November 2025, analysing responses from 2,014 Aussie employees aged between 18 and 64 who worked for an employer.

In its research, it also found that two in five workers reported fantasising about quitting their job, and seven in 10 (73 per cent) of workers reported thinking about the possibility of finding easier ways to earn money, or ways to earn more money.

For Gordon, these feelings were “likely fuelled by intrusive work responsibilities and boundaryless employers”.

Disconnecting a struggle for many

Further, Indeed’s data showed that 39 per cent of respondents reported being contacted outside of hours, and one in five (18 per cent) workers reported having employers who “simply refuse to respect personal boundaries”.

Alarmingly, 28 per cent of respondents reported having to be on call for “urgent” work issues, with one in four reporting being weighed down by workload stress.

Gordon identified that these behaviours can be attributed to an insecure attachment to work. “They check their phones, remain available for an ‘urgent’ ping, and carry guilt when disengaged,” she said.

Many workers reported feeling “tethered” to their devices, with nearly four in five (79 per cent) workers reporting reading work emails or messaging while holidaying, with over half (51 per cent) checking on them daily, on average every 4.82 hours.

For the workers able to switch off, Indeed found that three in five (63 per cent) reported needing a few days to shift into holiday mode, with 17 per cent needing a full week, and 6 per cent saying that they rarely fully disengage.

“Businesses that protect recovery time don’t lose performance; they build more resilient, engaged and capable teams,” Gordon said.

Bumping into colleagues while off work

Indeed’s research found that 43 per cent of respondents said they would “happily strike up a conversation” if they run into a colleague while on holiday, with 57 per cent reported wanting to “keep it brief”, 43 per cent said they would rather say hello, 8 per cent said they would try to avoid eye contact, and 6 per cent said they would go out of their way to physically avoid the person.

“The desire to avoid colleagues isn’t rude, it’s about creating boundaries. Even a casual encounter can snap someone straight back into work mode,” Gordon said.

Despite many workers wanting a “colleague-free” holiday, more than half (55 per cent) reported that they would “miss their colleagues while on break”.

“When work follows people to the sun lounger, boundaries are clearly blurred,” she said. Gordon attributed these blurred lines to a “hybrid revolution” that started during the pandemic, which introduced issues that we did not have to face before.

Co-design and trust

“Healthy disconnection isn’t created by policy; it’s created by what leaders model and reward. HR leaders need to challenge the assumption that constant availability equals commitment, and address workloads that quietly depend on after-hours work,” Gordon said.

“When senior leaders visibly respect boundaries, disconnection becomes part of the culture rather than something individuals have to negotiate,” she said.

Gordon advised that effective right-to-disconnect systems must be “built with employees, not imposed on them.”

“When expectations are co-designed, they’re clearer, fairer and far more likely to be respected,” she said.