First, it was ‘quiet quitting’, then ‘acting your wage’, followed by ‘bare minimum Mondays’. Now, some employees are apparently ‘quiet vacationing’. This means secretly working from holiday destinations without telling their boss. Other similar terms, such as #workfromanywhere and #SecretVacation.
Employees who undertake this activity will still log on for any meetings and complete any work they would usually do at home, but instead of sitting at a desk, they will be doing it on holiday.
Is this a clever work hack or a disaster waiting to happen? Gareth Hoyle, Managing Director at Marketing Signals, believes this trend is a wake-up call for businesses. If employees feel the need to sneak away, the real problem is not the workers—it’s their employer.
Hoyle argues that companies should focus on results, not location, and build a culture of trust instead. Hoyle also says this behaviour taps into the general frustrations some people have around work/life balance as well as the rise of other workplace trends, such as ‘quiet quitting’ and ‘career cushioning’.
Some workers feel burnt out and want a break but may not have the holidays or want to deal with the hassle of requesting time off. Others, who no longer have to go to the office, are taking advantage of flexible and remote working policies by literally working from anywhere. For some, they are doing the same hours they would usually do but just in a new (and better) location, while others may simply pretend to be working.
Who is responsible? According to Hoyle: “I would say it’s the fault of an employer if someone feels as though they have to be deceptive to protect themselves from burnout or even take a short break. This would suggest that there’s something wrong with the company culture, leadership or the overall trust has been lost somewhere, and it’s definitely something companies need to address internally.”
In terms of risk – benefit, Hoyle thinks: “For those looking to sneak away without their boss knowing, is it worth the risk and can you actually get away with going on holiday without telling your boss? I don’t think so.”
This is because: “It could be difficult to get away with. You may miss important messages, emails or deadlines, or potentially be late for a call due to being in a different timezone. If you’re asked to take a video call then the different location may give it away too.”
Hoyle cautions: “While it may seem harmless, especially if you’re doing all your usual hours, it could land you or your employer in hot water. If caught, it can significantly damage any trust you may have with your employer and result in disciplinary action when you’re back.”
There is also the factor of changing the culture back at work, as Hoyle observes: “Going forward, it could also lead to stricter policies and monitoring if people are abusing current flexible or remote working policies.”
Other challenges could arise. As an example, Hoyle offers: “If your work laptop is lost or stolen, or if it breaks while you’re away. If your work laptop or any other documents are lost or stolen, and you’re working on anything sensitive, this could have a negative impact on your employer and means you’d have to explain where you were when it happened. “
As to Hoyle’s own approach, he opines: “Personally, I don’t mind where my employees work as long as they get the work done so if that means working while on a city break or beach resort, then that’s fine. I measure our teams on output and not attendance, meaning it’s incumbent on team members to produce results rather than to demonstrate how many hours they spent working on something.”
