In the world of work, you may have already heard the term “quiet retirement,” where people simply show up to work and do real work, subject to certain restrictions.
That work trend basically means people show up to work and then clock out more or less on time when their shift ends.
You don’t have to stay late to answer an email, finish a spreadsheet, or attend another meeting.
Once your contracted working hours are over, you must leave work immediately.
With that in mind, you might think of a “quiet vacation” as something similar: going on vacation and not thinking about work at all, no matter how many emails and messages you have to deal with.
Actually, that’s not the case: while the two work trends sound very similar, a “quiet vacation” is a whole different story.
Most people feel like they can’t get away from work even during vacations. (Getty Stock Photo)
Across the Atlantic, a study called the “Out of Office Culture Report” was released, finding that most Americans don’t take all of their holidays off.
78% of workers do not take all of their vacation time, with the main reasons being that they feel pressured to be “always available and compliant” and that their workload does not allow them to take time off.
You might think a “quiet vacation” was just about escaping the constant grind of work, but the survey found that this is a big problem, with 86% of people saying they check work emails while on vacation and 56% saying they receive work calls while on vacation.
Despite the seeming pressure to attend, a “quiet vacation” actually means taking time off without telling your boss.
Many people feel uncomfortable taking time off, so they take time off and then do things that make it look like they’re still working while they’re on vacation.
A survey found that 37% of American millennials have taken time off but didn’t say anything about it to their boss.
“No, boss, I didn’t go on vacation without telling you. This is just a Zoom background.” (Getty Stock Photo)
Libby Rodney of Harris Poll, which conducted the survey, told CNBC that only 24% of Gen Zers are doing the same, showing a generational gap.
She said: “There’s a huge culture of workarounds.”
“They will figure out how to achieve the right work-life balance, but that’s what happens behind the scenes.
“It’s more like taking a quiet vacation than quietly quitting your job.”
Other behaviours people admitted to included occasionally moving their mouse on their computer to show they were still active when they were not working, and scheduling messages to be sent outside of normal working hours to give the appearance of working outside of working hours.
If you’re reading this article on a day off when you haven’t reported to work, remember to keep your Instagram posts to a minimum to avoid getting caught out.
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
Topics: Mental Health, Travel, Lifestyle
