2 weeks Ago
Dubai: Forget ‘quiet quitting’, ‘acting your wage’, or ‘bare minimum Mondays’ - the latest workplace trend taking over social media platform TikTok is ‘quiet vacationing’ with over two million views (and growing). Similar terms like #workfromanywhere and #SecretVacation have 10 million views combined. Quiet vacationing is the practice of employees going on vacation without letting anyone, including direct managers, know about it.
“They’ll still log on for any meetings and complete any work they would usually do at home, but instead of sitting at a desk, they’ll be doing it on holiday,” explained Gareth Hoyle, Managing Director at Marketing Signals. The trend is blowing up mainly because it’s relatable. “It taps into the general frustrations some people have around work/life balance and the rise of other workplace trends, such as ‘quiet quitting’ and ‘career cushioning’,” Hoyle explained.
However, is this a clever work hack or a disaster waiting to happen? Hoyle believes this trend is a wake-up call for businesses. “If employees need to sneak away, the real problem isn’t them—it’s their employer. Arguing companies should focus on results, not location, and build a culture of trust instead,” he added.
'Work from anywhere in the UAE' The UAE public sector, however, announced a new remote work system last week allowing government employees to work from abroad. The remote work system, announced on social media by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is aimed towards attracting international talent to help the government become more efficient when completing major projects, studies and specialised tasks. Why do employees’ have quiet vacations? Some workers feel burnt out and want a break but may not have the holidays or want to deal with the hassle of requesting time off.
Others, who no longer have to go to the office, take advantage of flexible and remote working policies by working from anywhere. Some are doing the same hours they usually do but just in a new (and better) location, while others may pretend to be working. But who is to blame? Are these workers lazy or are employers to blame for making their staff feel like they can’t ask for time off? “I would say it’s the fault of an employer if someone feels as though they have to be deceptive to protect themselves from burnout or even take a short break.
This would suggest that there’s something wrong with the company culture, leadership, or overall trust, which has been lost somewhere, and it’s something companies need to address internally,” Hoyle added. A survey from The Harris Poll earlier this year revealed that more than a third (37 per cent) of millennial workers in the US had taken time off without communicating it to their employer. In comparison, two in five (38 per cent) had moved their mouse to maintain online status on their company’s messaging system – also called ‘mouse jiggling’, read a People Management report.
Is it worth the risk? For those looking to sneak away without their boss knowing, is it worth the risk and can you get away with going on holiday without telling your boss? “I don’t think so. It could be difficult to get away with. You may miss important messages, emails, or deadlines or be late for a call due to being in a different time zone.
If you’re asked to take a video call, the different location may give it away, too,” said Hoyle. While it may seem harmless, especially if employees do all their usual hours, it could land the employee or the employer in hot water. “If caught, it can significantly damage your trust with your employer and result in disciplinary action when you’re back.
In the future, it could also lead to stricter policies and monitoring if people are abusing current flexible or remote working policies,” he added. Other challenges could arise if workers’ work laptops are lost, stolen, or broken while the employee is away. “If your work laptop or any other documents are lost or stolen, and you’re working on anything sensitive, this could hurt your employer and means you’d have to explain where you were when it happened,” Hoyle said.
Ultimately, honesty is always the best policy when taking a holiday. “If you don’t have the holidays, work remotely and want to take a break, speak to your manager and see whether they’re happy for you to take your work abroad. If not, you may need to do it the old-fashioned way and take annual leave,” said Hoyle.
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