This will cost you $7,500 this year

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"Of course, you can still reach me if you need me."

That was a typical “old me” sentence, talking to my leadership team ahead of any time away.

I was a leader of leaders, but still always made myself available during what was supposed to be personal time out of work.

Sound familiar? It probably does.

The latest research shows we're not only failing to disconnect after hours, but 62% of US workers don't take all their available vacation time, a significant increase over previous years.

When we do take time off? Many of us bring work with us.

So we aren’t psychologically detaching, something our brains desperately need for mental recovery.

Recent studies find that psychological detachment from work predicts better mental well-being and quality of life. Leader engagement dropped to just 27% globally in 2024, the lowest level in over a decade.

In other words, we’re paying our employers to give back our vacation time, and as a result, we're becoming less effective at work.

Let me break down the math that should make every leader rethink their "always available" approach.

Let’s say you make $120,000 annually and have an expected 40-hour workweek, with at least a couple of weeks off per year. That’s 2,080 hours, and your hourly rate is about $58.

If you're checking email for 30 minutes daily outside work hours (modest estimate), and working through half your vacation days (or not taking them at all), you're donating roughly $7,500 worth of your time annually back to your employer.

That's a 6% pay cut you're giving yourself. And you’re funding it from your life outside of work. Your whole life. Your family life. Your friends life. Your hiking life. Your one and only life.

Leaders making $200K+ who are "always on" could be donating $15,000-25,000 worth of unpaid time each year.

US companies that haven’t adopted unlimited PTO carry $318 billion in accrued PTO liabilities on their balance sheets.

In tech, unlimited PTO is common. While it wipes PTO liabilities off the company books, the "fiscal irresponsibility" of unused PTO shifts from company to employee.

Worst of all, as leaders, we’re setting the example that we shouldn’t take time to disconnect completely.

It’s a lose-lose-lose situation.

Ambition

"Don't look for me, I'm out of office."

That's the message leaders need to start sending.

Not just with words, but with actions.

When we do, we show our teams we trust them and that we're modeling sustainable professional boundaries.

When you fully disconnect, you're not irresponsible. You're improving outcomes.

Recent research shows that psychological detachment improves job performance by 25% and reduces stress-related health costs.

There’s a multiplier effect when we model detachment.

Our teams are 40% more likely to feel psychologically safe.

The new ambition isn't about grinding harder; it's about prioritizing healthy detachment that makes everyone more effective, including you.

We’re not abandoning our team when we disconnect.

We’re showing them what sustainable high performance actually looks like.

GO | DO

Calculate how much of your life and salary you're donating: Take your annual salary, divided by standard hours, multiplied by the extra hours you work weekly.

(Annual salary ÷ 2,080) × extra hours worked weekly × 52.

That's your annual "donation" to your employer.

It’s also the time you’re giving away from your one wild and magical life.

The two-week trust experiment: Plan your next time off with these boundaries:

• Set a true out-of-office message (no "reach me for emergencies")

• Designate specific coverage for urgent issues

• Turn off work notifications completely

• Track how your team performs in your absence

• Hold a re-entry conversation to hear what went right, and opportunities for improvement

Questions to ask yourself:

• What percentage of my "life outside work" am I actually giving to work?

• What could I do with the donated time or money if I reclaimed it?

• What message am I sending my team about sustainable success?

• What moments am I missing from my family time, my friend time, my “me” time?

Get In There

• 📈 The four-day workweek gets a new booster: AI developments are reshaping productivity expectations, with hybrid and remote employees showing higher engagement (31% and 23% respectively) compared to on-site workers (19%) [Emily Peck, Axios]

• 🌟Looking for a hopeful moment? Despite widespread burnout, psychological detachment research shows that employees who achieve better work separation experience improved mood, energy, and lower stress levels.

• 🎧 LISTEN UP: The New Ambition Season 2 is here! Last week's episode was short and sweet. We talk about our refined mission and why this community is so important.