Quiet vacationing, which is taking unofficial and unapproved time off, may tempt employees to take a work break without using their paid time off (PTO), but it comes with risks and damaging effects for their job and workplace. This concept of employees stealthily stepping away from work without communicating with their boss has always existed, but rose to light through recent social media trends. Though employees may experience momentary relief from quiet vacationing, the negative implications can be long-lasting.
Why Quiet Vacationing Is Problematic
Saying one thing and doing another is a quick way to erode trust. Quiet vacationing can devalue trust among teams and supervisors while diminishing productivity. Employees being unresponsive or slow to answer can hinder processes and hurt their coworkers’ productivity.
While the goal of quiet vacationing is to take time away from work to prioritize rest or other responsibilities, secrecy can incite unnecessary feelings of anxiety or stress. If an employee resorts to quiet vacationing to get a break, it can be a sign that they are experiencing burnout or are lacking work-life balance.
What Leaders Can Do
There are actionable steps to prevent quiet vacationing on your team while supporting your employees to get the rest they need.
- Encourage taking time off. Globally, 62% of employees are deprived of vacation, according to Expedia’s Vacation Deprivation Report. Taking time off is proven to positively affect well-being, mental health, productivity, and job satisfaction.
- Enact quiet days or weeks to create breathing room during work hours. Pausing non-critical meetings to allow employees time to work with fewer distractions improves work-life balance, productivity, and clearing of backlogged to-do lists.
- Check in with each employee to monitor for signs of burnout. Listen actively to identify how your team may be struggling and offer support.
- Train your team on how to be off work. Set expectations for how to prepare to be out of office, ensure coverage of responsibilities, and establish a process for how employees will be contacted during their time off if it’s unavoidable. PTO doesn’t stop mission-critical tasks, but it’s important to protect your team’s time off to allow them to experience the full benefits of taking off work.
- Lead by example. Be present during your work hours and use your PTO to rest and recharge. It can be difficult for employees to request time off or to commit to fully disconnecting if it isn’t regularly practiced at your company. The impact that taking time off has on productivity, job and life satisfaction, and health is unmatched and should be prioritized.
Quiet vacationing may appeal to employees in need of a break, but it damages team trust and workplace productivity. Support your team in improving their work-life balance by encouraging the use of PTO, which allows time for rest and leisure, ultimately leading to a more productive workforce and more satisfied employees.
Last Updated on April 7, 2025
