Quiet Vacationing

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Question

We allow our employees to work remotely, and we are concerned they engage in "quiet vacationing" during the summer months. How can we prevent our employees from doing this?

Answer

“Quiet vacationing” is when employees take vacation days without informing their employer, so it looks like they worked more than they actually did, or they work from home and do not put in a full day’s worth of work. Quiet vacationing in remote work settings may happen for many reasons, such as burnout, difficulty separating work and personal life, or feelings of isolation and disconnect from the team.

In addition, the expectation for employees working from home is that they meet their work demands. In many cases, these demands have increased, so employees may feel anxious or guilty for requesting vacation or paid time off, fearing it may impact their job security.

Quiet vacationing can be difficult to completely avoid, but there are proactive steps that employers can take that may help discourage it. Employers should consider the following:

• Schedule regular check-ins. Employers and supervisors can conduct regular team meetings to track progress and address concerns. These check-ins also implement a system for regular status updates.
• Utilize flexible work arrangements. Offering flexible work hours and allowing breaks can help employees maintain productivity without compromising accountability.
• Establish clear expectations. When employees know what to expect, they are more likely to adhere to expectations. Employers should ensure employees understand remote work policies and schedule expectations for both hourly and salaried roles.

Employers should encourage workload transparency and emphasize the importance of work-life balance. This may reduce employee anxiety about job security and requesting vacation or paid time off. Increased employer-employee communication could reduce quiet vacationing.