If it seems like everyone you know is hitting the slopes and “not in the office,” ’tis the season. But what if they’re not actually, officially out of office? It’s quite possible because a controversial travel term is emerging to describe remote workers (primarily millennials) who secretly travel without telling their bosses and still work on vacation, albeit by the ocean with a Aperol spritz in the hand. Enter: quiet holiday.
“Quiet holiday is when someone is working remotely but they’re not working their butts in their seats at home,” says career expert Chris Lovell, PHR. This can take many forms, but these havens are usually when workers are in another state or country while giving the impression that they’re “working remotely In practice, this could be toggling the mouse, keeping their Microsoft Teams bright green, or maintaining an “online” status, all while doing little or no real work, she says.
It is increasingly common. A recent report from PapersOwl Surveys of 2,000 Americans ages 18 to 24 found that half of respondents took leisurely vacations up to three times in the past year. (And 12 percent said they had done it more often.)
Jacqueline* takes a vacation at least once a month, usually on Fridays. “I think as long as I get the job done, who cares if I’m actively working during office hours, and I always have my phone so I can be responsive if someone texts me,” she says. “Since the days I actually take paid time off, which is extremely limited, I can log out 100 percent.”
Experts featured in this article
Chris LovellPHR, is a career expert at SoFi Technologies and founder of Careers by Chris.
Lauren Winans is CEO and chief HR consultant for Next Level Benefits.
Nadia Alaee is a senior director of human resources business partners at Deel.
You could argue that silent vacations have always been on the down and low, but the trend has actually skyrocketed since the pandemic began. Of course, with the acceleration of remote work, more people are finding a way to beat the system, but quiet vacations are also inextricably linked to toxic work culture.
“This trend stems from a cultural issue and toxic work environment more than anything else,” says HR consultant Lauren Winans. “It’s a continuation of the fear of not being connected, of being out of the office and missing out, and the stigma that comes with taking an extended vacation.”
“This trend stems from a cultural issue and toxic work environment more than anything else.”
So, rather than formally taking time off from work and relaxing completely, the desire for a quiet vacation flows into the workplace lively culture and the lack of respect for work-life balance. “People either don’t have time off, can’t take time off, or feel bad about taking time off, so they try to find solutions where they can still build it work-life balance and doing the things they enjoy,” says Lovell. “It’s the need to be present and ‘on’ all the time, otherwise people worry about their workplace, colleagues or managers may see them as less productive or less of a team member. ”
Lovell also speculates that quiet holidays are on the rise due to generally poor and inadequate paid time off (PTO) policies in the United States. The average American gets 11 days of paid vacation per year, according to Forbesbut there is no federal regulations or laws about how much PTO companies must provide to employees, Lovell says. (That’s entirely up to the employer.) In fact, 28 million Americans receive no paid vacation or paid time off, and nearly one-third of US workers have no access to PTO.
Even though employees are granted and/or take time off, over half (52 percent) of employees report working during PTO, whether it’s checking email, hopping on a conference call or responding to a Slack notification, according to the same Forbes survey . As a result, this can lead to burnout and resentment, and employees may feel like a quiet vacation is their only option, Lovell says. In a way, they’re just doing the best they can.
On the other hand, however, the silent holiday trend may be another manifestation of how remote work is being used. “It’s usually when organizations aren’t flexible with work arrangements, don’t have trust (in their employees) or don’t have flexible policies that people will start to take advantage,” says HR professional Nadia Alaee.
Of course, there is a group of people who love and respect remote work, so they don’t abuse it, but there is another camp of employees who may say they work remotely, but their productivity drops or is completely non-existent, says Alaee. That’s when quiet vacations start to become a problem that doesn’t meet the requirements and risks ruining telecommuting for an entire company.
Another HR nightmare: working from an unknown location increases the chances of inadequate data security or a security breachLovell says. Public WiFi is never the safest option if you’re working with sensitive or confidential information, and choosing to work in a new or unfamiliar location without prior approval can put you, your company, and your work at risk, she adds. There are also tax implications that come into play, for both the employer and the employee, if you work in a location other than where you’re contracted to work, so you’ll want to be extra thoughtful about company policies and legalities before flying, Alaee adds.
Now, because the concept of silent vacation is inherently insidious and misleading — and probably not OK with your employer’s policy — it also doesn’t come without personal risk, Lovell says. “We all have our own decision-making abilities and it’s about choices, but be prepared to deal with the consequences and consequences of a quiet vacation,” she says. Know your company’s policies and be prepared to deal with the backlash if you get caught.
So what better way to take time off, you ask? Transparency and communication. If there aren’t clear policies against or for working remotely at different locations, Winans says it’s best to talk to your employer to let them know you want to take a trip, and note which days you are and aren’t available to work (if you feel comfortable with a hybrid work/vacation schedule when traveling). “It can’t hurt to tell your boss where you are, and if it feels like it’s going to hurt, you might want to think twice about that employer and environment,” she says. If you are ever embarrassed or feel bad about taking time off, it may be time to look for a new job.
And if you have PTO, actually use it so you can rest and recharge. “From what I’ve seen, when you’re on a quiet vacation, you’re not really disconnected, and one of the best ways to prevent burnout is to completely disconnect from work,” says Lovell. “Create boundaries as much as possible.”
Finally, like most workplace issues, Alaee says flexibility and honesty are key from an employer and company culture perspective. “Be really open and transparent with your workforce, and if you need to repeat a policy, tweak it or make it a little different, explain why,” she says. “Leaning into workplace flexibility will only improve employee health, well-being, productivity and morale.”
*The names have been changed.
Andi Breitowich is a Chicago-based freelance writer and graduate of Emory University and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Her work has appeared in PS, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan and elsewhere.
