Tips To Reduce The Risk Of Your Employee’s Quiet Vacations

With the rise of hybrid and remote work, along with flexible hours, it has become easier for employees to vacation without taking any PTO. For some employers, this may not even raise an eyebrow. Certainly, there is endless online chatter about how adults should be treated like adults at work, so long as they get their work done. And plenty of good can come from that approach. In fact, at CGL, our team works during their most productive hours from wherever they are.  But quiet vacationing comes with significant risks and is a problematic trend. We’ll delve into the risks and remedies below:  

What Is Quiet Vacationing?  

Quiet vacationing is the practice of an employee taking vacation without letting their employer know or requesting time off. It covers a wide range of behaviors, with some employees doing their regular work during work hours from a different location, while others will simulate keyboard activity and take the time off (without asking for leave).  

This practice has become fairly commonplace, with a 2024 survey suggesting that 1 in 8 workers planned to take a quiet vacation this summer.  

What’s The Harm in Quiet Vacationing?  

The harm in quiet vacationing is the quiet part. Companies may permit their employees to ‘work-from-anywhere’, but these companies should also have policies in place to ensure legal compliance and protect the company. 

When a vacation is taken without the employer’s permission or knowledge, the employee opens their employer up to risks it is unaware of and can’t address or mitigate. These risks include:  

• Workplace health and safety risks, since employers is unable to conduct a proper risk assessment of the employee’s work environment.  

• Data security risks arise when employees connect to unsecured or less secure WIFI networks. This can lead to unauthorized disclosure of personal information or confidential information.  

• If an employee vacations for long enough (or even moves) without telling the employer, they may become resident of another state (or even another country). This can trigger payroll requirements and minimum wage issues where the minimum wage is higher than the company’s home state.  

What Can Employers Do About Quiet Vacationing?  

The quiet vacationing trend can be indicative of a poor company culture, but it’s also reflective of societal norms encouraging greater work-life integration.  Employers looking to buck the trend should address both issues to reduce or eliminate the risk of quiet vacationing. Here’s what you can do:  

Implement Clear Policies About Work Locations 

Your workplace policies about approved work locations should be clearly stated in your Employee Handbook. It’s also useful to remind employees of the policy regularly.  

Your policy should dictate the process for requesting time off and, if you do allow employees to work from anywhere, employees should have clear guidance on the process for notifying the company of a change of work location.  

If your work location policy is intended to be strictly work from home, the policy should also outline the consequences for a violation, so your employees know what to expect.  

Educate Your Employees 

Many employees don’t know or understand the downside of quiet vacationing. It is seen as a relatively harmless practice with limited consequences; however, it can have a negative impact on employee morale.  

Train Your Team Leaders 

Your team leaders should encourage employees to take their allocated paid time off and should lead by example. This can help you create a culture of transparency and acceptance of PTO practices.  

Consider Mandatory Time Off Policies 

You can address cultural issues where employees fear retribution or lack of advancement if they take PTO by implementing mandatory time off policies. This can help to normalize the practice of taking PTO, so employees aren’t in a position where they don’t use all their PTO while also taking quiet vacations.   

If you want assistance updating your employee handbook and internal policies, reach out. Our employment attorneys are available to help.  

• Employment Law