Millennial Rebellion? All You Need To Know About New Viral Workplace Trend ‘Quiet Vacationing'

With new trends emerging regularly, it can be pretty hard to keep up. Just when we got a grasp of what ‘dry promotion’, ‘office peacocking’ and ‘quiet quitting’ meant, here’s another viral workplace trend called ‘Quiet Vacationing’.?

In an ideal setup, to achieve a healthy work-life balance, employees typically request time off from their managers before going on a vacation. However, with "quiet vacationing" emerging, individuals are now opting to take time off without notifying their bosses. This trend, particularly popular among millennials, is gaining traction, as per reports.

According to a CNBC report and a survey conducted by The Harris Poll, around 78% of employees in the United States, predominantly millennials and Gen Z, do not utilize all of their allocated Paid Time Off (PTO) days.

What’s The Reason Behind Not Utilizing Paid Leave & Sneaking Off Without Informing The Boss?

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According to Libby Rodney, Chief Strategy Officer at The Harris Poll, as cited by the publication, younger professionals refrain from requesting time off due to pressure to meet deadlines and maintain productivity. Additionally, they hesitate to request Paid Time Off (PTO) for fear of being perceived as "slackers."

Allegedly, Gen Z workers are more outspoken about companies that fault employees for seeking time off, while millennials tend to address such issues discreetly and independently, as per reports.

Libby Rodney said, “They will figure out how to get an appropriate work-life balance, but it’s happening behind the scenes. It’s not exactly quiet quitting, but more like quiet vacationing,” as quoted by CNBC.

Also Read:?What Is 'Dry Promotion'? All About This Silent Threat To Employee Satisfaction & Loyalty

How do employees behave during "quiet vacationing"?

As reported by the Guardian, approximately 40% of millennials have acknowledged participating in this trend, opting to take time off without notifying their supervisors. The outlet highlighted various tactics employed by these workers during "quiet vacationing."

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Some employees create the illusion of working by scheduling emails to be sent during working hours or even outside of them, giving the impression of overtime. Additionally, they may periodically move their computer mouse on company messaging platforms to simulate activity. Libby Rodney, speaking to CNBC, described this as part of a larger "workaround culture," where individuals strive for work-life balance discreetly. She emphasized that while it's not precisely quitting, it resembles "quiet vacationing."

Nearly 40% of the workforce comprises millennials, who have resorted to extreme measures to maintain the facade of productivity, according to a Harris Poll report. About 40% admitted to periodically moving their computer mouse to simulate online activity, while an equal number confessed to sending emails after hours to feign working overtime.

“Instead of going at it head-to-head and worrying about if you’ll rustle the feathers of your boss during a tight economic quarter, millennials are just kind of doing what they need to do to take their vacation,” Rodney told Fortune.