While “quiet vacationing” — where employees pretend to be working while traveling or taking personal time — is gaining recognition as a workplace trend, it isn’t completely new. Once known as “hush trips” or “hush vacations,” the practice reflects a growing tension between workplace expectations and employees’ desire for more work-life balance.
Quiet vacations differ from “workcations.” While workcations are openly communicated to employers and involve working remotely while traveling — blending business and leisure — quiet vacations are covert.
“Imagine booking a trip, enjoying some relaxation but keeping it hush-hush from your workplace. That’s quiet vacationing in a nutshell,” said Tawny Lott Rodriguez, director of human resources at private school Rowland Hall in Salt Lake City, in an email. “Employees utilize various methods like scheduling emails in advance or setting auto-responders to create the illusion of being present while they’re actually on vacation.”
Since work-life balance can be increasingly difficult to achieve legitimately while working full time, quiet vacationing is one way that workers are evening the score.
In May 2024, ResumeBuilder.com surveyed 1,050 corporate workers with paid-time-off benefits and found that 1 in 8 employees planned to engage in quiet vacationing over the summer and that 1 in 10 quiet vacationed in the past year.
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What Is Quiet Vacationing?
Quiet vacationing refers to taking time off without formally reporting it — often by pretending to work or doing the bare minimum. “Rather than completely unplugging from work, employees check emails and maybe do some light work tasks while out of the office on vacation,” said Conor Martin Hughes, founder and principal consultant of Conor Hughes Consulting LLC and a Society for Human Resource Management senior certified professional, in an email. “This allows them to avoid using up vacation days while still getting some work done.”
Employees may use several methods to make their companies and colleagues think they’re on the clock. In a May 2024 Harris Poll survey of 1,170 employed adults, 31% said they had moved their computer mouse to make it appear to colleagues like they were working, and 28% said they had taken time off without telling their employer they were doing so. To give the impression of working long hours, 30% said they schedule emails to send outside of traditional working hours.
Pros and Cons of Quiet Vacationing
Quiet vacationing benefits employees by allowing them to take time off without falling behind on work. It also provides flexibility to take vacations when needed without using vacation days, and can help maintain work-life balance, Hughes said. Rodriguez added that reduced stress and burnout, improved mental and physical well-being and increased productivity upon return are other pros of quiet vacationing.
However, Hughes said quiet vacationing also has drawbacks for workers and raises ethical questions. “It prevents employees from fully recharging and avoiding burnout since they don’t completely unplug, blurs boundaries between work and personal time, and violates company vacation policies,” Hughes said. The potential for missed deadlines or emergencies, having more tasks to complete upon return and facing repercussions if discovered are other ways that taking a quiet vacation can backfire, according to Rodriguez.
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What Do Employers Think About Quiet Vacationing?
From an employer’s perspective as an HR leader, Rodriguez said that while she understands the desire for a true break, quiet vacationing can disrupt workflow and leave colleagues scrambling. “Open communication and utilizing the existing vacation policy is always preferred,” she said, noting that the rise of quiet vacationing reflects a need for improved work-life balance.
Rodriguez shared that her organization is exploring more flexible vacation options and encouraging employees to disconnect while on approved leave. “Quiet vacationing raises concerns about potential misuse and a culture of dishonesty,” she said. “We strive to create an environment of trust and transparency where employees feel comfortable taking their allotted vacation time.”
Quiet vacationing “can be seen as dishonest and lead to resentment from co-workers,” Hughes said. However, quiet vacationing isn’t always problematic. “Some employers understand the flexibility it provides,” Hughes said. “The key is setting clear expectations so employees know if it is acceptable or not.”
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Should You Take a Quiet Vacation?
Going on a quiet vacation can be risky. The decision should depend on your work environment and comfort level, according to Rodriguez. She suggests considering:
— Company culture. Does your company encourage open communication about taking time off?
— Workload. Can you realistically delegate tasks and set clear boundaries before leaving?
— Alternatives. Can you explore options such as negotiating a flexible work schedule or an approved vacation with proper notification?
Hughes doesn’t recommend quiet vacationing as a sustainable practice. “While it provides some short-term benefits, employees need to fully recharge without distractions,” Hughes said. “Checking email and doing light work tasks doesn’t allow the brain to rest.”
He said employees should take real vacations, communicating with managers and co-workers to cover workloads. Meanwhile, companies should foster a culture that encourages using paid time off, he added. “The long-term benefits of vacationing without working outweigh any temporary flexibility quiet vacationing offers,” Hughes said.
Rodriguez said that while open communication is ideal, quiet vacationing may be right for some employees in certain situations. “If quiet vacationing feels like your only option due to a rigid work culture, prioritize your well-being,” she advised. “Just be prepared to manage potential consequences.”
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What Is Quiet Vacationing as a Workplace Trend? originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 05/30/25: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
