Retreat, Reset, Regret? Recruiters Read Job Applicants’ Career Breaks for Mental Health as Signals of Skill Deterioration and Ideal Worker Norm Violation

Workers who proactively exit employment to prevent burnout and preserve their mental health are, by their own logic, making a deliberate investment in long-term employability. Yet, related research on backlash against leave-taking suggests that employers may interpret this decision very differently at labour market re-entry. Using a preregistered vignette experiment in which professional recruiters evaluated 1,176 simulated LinkedIn profiles, we examine how such self-directed mental health breaks, popularised as ‘micro-retirements’, shape hiring evaluations. We find that applicants returning from such breaks face hiring penalties as severe as those attached to burnout-related absences. Mechanism analyses reveal why: recruiters read these interruptions primarily as signals of ideal worker norm violation, alongside skill deterioration, while failing to recognise their proactive character. This mismatch between worker perspective and employer interpretation carries implications for hiring practice, workplace mental health, and career theory.