Lucy Devine
There's a new work trend among Millennials - and employers are not impressed.
We've all heard of 'quiet quitting', AKA a practice characterised by doing the bare minimum at work.
It essentially means doing what you're contracted for and absolutely nothing more.
But 'quiet vacationing' is taking the behavior one step further.
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It's kind of similar to a 'workation' which sees employees head off on vacation, but they're technically still working, just from a different location.
It means staff can enjoy working in a new place, without taking any of those precious annual leave days.
Of course, it's much easier for employees who work entirely remotely and don't have to appear in many meetings or calls.
But there's another, slightly more sinister trend going around, which sees Millennials appearing to be working but really they're doing other things, such as getting their hair done, seeing friends or even relaxing at home.
So how do they pull it off?
Apparently, scheduling emails and sending the odd message to keep things ticking over helps create the idea that they're busy at their laptops.
In fact, a study from The Harris Poll found 37 percent of Millennial workers in the US had been taking time off work without letting their employer know.
Meanwhile, 38 percent had nudged their mouse to make it seem they were still online.
Some people made things a bit more sophisticated and even scheduled emails to send out outside of working hours to make it look like they were doing overtime.
Libby Rodney, Chief Strategy Officer at The Harris Poll, and told CNBC: “There’s a giant workaround culture at play.
“They will figure out how to get appropriate work-life balance, but it’s happening behind the scenes. It’s not exactly quiet quitting, but more like quiet vacationing.”
But why <illennials specifically?
Rodney explained that while Gen Z tends to be more forthright about their position in the workplace, Millennials are also getting what they want.
But it seems the older Millennials have decided to take things more under the radar.
Debating who's to blame for 'quiet vacationing', Hayley Saunders, HR technical consultant at AdviserPlus, told People Management: “If employees are feeling the need to take a break from work without being honest about it, there is something wrong with the company culture. There is not just a lack of trust, there’s a lack of psychological safety.
“They’re saying: ‘I can’t be honest about needing a break because I’m afraid of the consequences.’ It’s a huge red flag that the company needs to address - not just with policies, but with a deep cultural shift.”
Are you guilty of taking a 'quiet vacation'?