Some workers are taking time off without communicating it to their employers, creating the appearance of continued work while on vacation. Instead of only making brief signals of activity, they may remain online and respond occasionally to messages from locations far from the workplace. A 2024 Harris Poll report found 28% of workers have taken time off without informing their employer. Fewer Gen Z, Gen X, and baby boomers report doing this, while nearly 4 in 10 millennials do. Many “quiet vacationers” do it out of fear of being seen as slacking off and missing career opportunities, often without using more leave than they are entitled to. A separate 2024 Resume Builder study also reports high levels of this behavior.
"Like quiet quitting-where employees mentally check out of their jobs, instead of taking the financial risk that comes with actually quitting-those who are "quiet vacationing" are similarly tricking bosses into thinking they're working. But instead of wiggling their mouse every now and then so that they appear to be active while secretly binge watching TV, these workers are taking the trend one step further: They're going on vacation without formally taking leave, and pretending to still be online."
"Essentially, some workers could be scanning through Slack or responding to the odd email from a beach in an entirely different country, right under your nose this summer. And it's your millennial workers you should keep the closest eye on."
"According to a 2024 report on out-of-office culture by Harris Poll, 28% of workers are guilty of taking time off work without communicating it to their employer. Despite all the flak they get about being lazy or unprofessional, less than one-quarter of Gen Zers have done this-the same as Gen Xers and baby boomers. However, nearly 4 in 10 millennial workers have gone on vacation behind their bosses back."
"But all of this comes from a fear of looking like they're slacking off, the researchers noted. A significant chunk of "quiet vacationers" are likely not using up more leave than they're actually entitled to, they're just scared that by asking for those days off work, they'll be passed up for opportunities."
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