A few years ago, a trend known as “quiet quitting” emerged within organizations across the nation. The phenomenon occurs when workers do the bare minimum to avoid getting reprimanded or fired but are otherwise disengaged and fail to put in any effort that goes beyond what is absolutely necessary. 

While quiet quitting remains a concern for employers everywhere, yet another millennial trend has popped up, and it’s just as concerning. Known as quiet vacationing, it involves taking time off without using vacation hours or notifying employers. 

On that note, here’s everything you need to know about the concept:

What’s a Quiet Vacation?

A quiet vacation involves taking unauthorized time off from work, and though these occurrences are exclusive to remote workers, they can take many forms. One of the most common concerns is signing off before a shift ends without getting that time off approved. 

Admittedly, someone signing off 15 to 20 minutes early is not the most egregious offense, especially if the person has already finished their work for the day. However, a pattern of logging off early can result in long-term productivity losses and hours of unauthorized “vacation” time. 

A more serious example involves working remotely from a vacation destination, such as a cabin in the woods or a beach. While some workers might be able to get their tasks completed while at a relaxing vacation destination, it’s vital that they go through proper channels when using PTO. 

To clarify, the concern isn’t so much where an employee is working from but instead, whether they are being productive for the entire shift. Some workers may use applications to make their mouse move periodically, which gives the impression that they are active during the work day. 

Signs of Quiet Vacationing

Quiet vacationing can be tricky to detect, especially if the employee is savvy about covering their tracks. However, there are some indicators, such as

• Decreased productivity
• A lack of engagement
• Failing to contribute to team meetings or products
• Doing the bare minimum to meet performance deadlines 

If you notice these or other indicators of quiet vacationing, it’s important to get to the bottom of the issue. But it’s also important to understand why workers quiet vacation in the first place.

While everyone has their own unique motivations, some common factors include feelings of burnout, fatigue, or a belief that they don’t receive enough PTO time. If your business offers a combined sick and vacation leave bank, remote workers may be more prone to taking quiet vacations. After all, they may want to save their PTO hours to cover illnesses or care for loved ones in an emergency. 

Should You Be Worried?

Yes, you should be concerned about quiet vacations. Workers are going to be less productive if they are quietly vacationing. They will likely do the bare minimum to avoid repercussions while being minimally engaged with day-to-day work. 

Additionally, quiet vacationing may be a precursor to quiet (or actual) quitting. If employees are taking time off without getting it approved through proper channels, they are already disengaged. Therefore, it’s critical that you get them back on track with your organization as soon as possible. 

How to Discourage Quiet Vacationing and Boost Productivity

There aren’t any one-size-fits-all solutions to the quiet vacationing problem. Instead, you need to adopt a multifaceted approach. Start by evaluating your current benefits package, and particularly, your paid time off policies. 

From there, ask yourself some tough questions, like whether you award enough PTO and whether you make it easy for your team to use the vacation time they earn. If your PTO policies or time off approval processes are tedious, it can encourage quiet vacationing. 

Additionally, you’ll need to implement robust performance-tracking strategies that allow you to monitor the workforce and their productivity. Don’t be passive with your monitoring strategies. Take a proactive approach and have a member of your managerial team reach out to employees when their performance dips. The sooner you address these issues, the better your odds of fixing engagement challenges before people quit. 

Revamp Your Benefits Model With AssetHR

If quiet vacationing is negatively impacting your staff morale and team productivity, you need to act fast. Let AssetHR and our team of human resources consultants help. We can get to the bottom of the problem and provide targeted strategies to re-engage your workforce. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.