Pretending to work while lounging by a pool: this phenomenon now has a name, Quiet Vacationing. An emerging trend with the rise of remote work, it is particularly common among younger generations, according to an American study. Is it evidence of a toxic corporate culture or a future norm in terms of professional flexibility?
It’s the trend of the moment. After Quiet Quitting (doing the bare minimum at work) and Conscious Quitting (leaving a job for ethical reasons), now comes “Quiet Vacationing,” which can be translated as “silent vacations.” The concept? Taking time off without telling your employer… while making it seem like you’re still working.
Although not entirely new, this phenomenon has taken on a new dimension with the rise of remote work and online collaboration tools. In this new context, the line between remote work and vacation can sometimes become blurred, especially if employees go so far as to pretend to work by sending a few online signals.
According to a Harris Poll study published last May, which coined this term, 38% of American employees surveyed from the Millennial generation have already moved their mouse around just to keep their “online” status within their company’s communication system, like Slack or Microsoft Teams (31% across all employees). Additionally, 37% have taken time off without informing their employer, and 37% have scheduled an email outside of regular office hours to give the impression that they’re working overtime.
“We are witnessing a giant culture of evasion,” says Libby Rodney, Chief Strategy Officer at The Harris Poll. While members of Generation Z tend to be more outspoken against workplaces that shame those who want to take time off, Millennials prefer to take matters into their own hands, but under the radar. They find ways to balance work and personal life, and it all happens behind the scenes. It’s not exactly Quiet Quitting, but rather Quiet Vacationing.”
According to the same polling institute, 78% of Americans do not take all their annual leave days, particularly younger generations (89% for Generation Z and 83% for Millennials).
A matter of corporate culture
Sensing they had struck a nerve with the term Quiet Vacationing, Harris Poll conducted another survey for Independence Day in the United States. The result? Nearly half of respondents (48%) admitted to having taken silent vacations around the 4th of July in the past, including 58% of Millennials and, more surprisingly, 55% of managers (compared to 37% of non-managers).
“With the shift to virtual meetings and access to emails and work documents from anywhere, employees find it increasingly easy to combine their professional responsibilities with their free time,” explains Stacie Haller, Career Advisor at the platform Resume Builder, to American media outlet Axios.
Even if this issue is likely amplified by the cultural aspect of the relationship to work and vacations in the United States (where the fear of being seen as a slacker for taking vacations is stronger), it still reflects a reality for many employees around the world. For some experts, this trend is a symptom of a toxic corporate culture where employees’ psychological safety is not optimal.
“If we see our managers taking their vacations, we are less likely to hide when taking ours. Conversely, if we are in a culture where not taking vacations is a badge of honor, the phenomenon of Quiet Vacationing will accelerate,” warns organizational psychology specialist Jennifer Gabrielle, an associate at Humance, on Radio Canada.
Michael Wolf, Head of the day-escape app at luxury hotels ResortPass, takes a more radical stance:
“In the future, it will become normal to work by the pool, rather than hiding it!”
