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Diving certificate:
- Half (49%) of employees have participated in a “quiet holiday” – secret vacation times without taking paid leave – and 14% have lied to their superiors about their whereabouts during this time, according to an August report by Monster.
- Why do employees do this? 26 percent worked from home and didn’t think it was important, 20 percent were overwhelmed and needed a break, 15 percent didn’t want to give up pay by taking officially paid leave, and 11 percent thought their bosses wouldn’t notice.
- Most of those who did not take a quiet holiday say they were worried about their job security or their position in the company. Others cited guilt, a desire not to let down their colleagues, not to take a pay cut, and concern that their bosses might find out as reasons for not taking a quiet holiday.
Diving insight:
Although a quiet vacation seems to have great appeal, it’s possible that for most it’s more of a fantasy than a reality. Monster’s findings include those who have “considered” taking a quiet vacation, but Resume Builder, which surveyed 1,000 corporate employees in May, found that 1 in 10 respondents said they actually did it.
The trend – and responses to related surveys – provide insightful insights into employees’ attitudes toward paid leave and their workload.
Anxiety and burnout appear to play a major role in workers’ decision to take a paid vacation. According to Monster, 26 percent of workers who took a quiet vacation said it reduced their anxiety and improved their overall well-being.
At the same time, anxiety causes people to avoid asking for paid time off, as responses to both surveys showed. A third of workers told Resume Builder they took a quiet vacation because they were too nervous to ask for time off, and 30% said they believed taking a vacation day would make them seem less hardworking.
For other workers, lack of engagement and boredom at work appear to be contributing factors, as reported by those who thought their manager wouldn’t notice or that “it would matter.”
Studies show that employers tend to significantly overestimate Employee engagement. HR managers and supervisors can increase engagement by improving career development opportunities, Clarify expectationsand approach working arrangements carefully, experts say.
Employers may also be able to reduce the number of rest days by Approval of vacation requests and encourage employees to use their time – also by exploring creative approaches such as Minimum vacation time.
