Research from Robert Half finds 12% of workers have worked remotely from a holiday destination without informing their employer, while 33% have thought about doing it.
By Maggie Mancini
With many Australians planning getaways this winter, nearly half of employees (45%) have already worked or would consider working remotely from a holiday destination without telling their employer, new research from Robert Half finds.
When asked if they have or would consider working remotely from a holiday destination without telling their employer, 12% of workers say they have done so and 33% would consider doing it in the future. For 55% of employees, however, taking advantage of remote work by working from a holiday destination is a step too far and they have not done it nor would they consider it.
This phenomenon, called “quiet vacationing,” has become more widespread as remote work has become more common, says Nicole Gorton, director at Robert Half.
The younger the employee, the more likely they are to work from a holiday destination without informing their employer. Gen Z (57%) are far more likely to take their work with them on vacation, compared to their millennial (47%), Gen X (44%), and baby boomer (34%) counterparts.
Of those who have or would consider quiet vacationing, more than half (53%) say they are simply tapping into the benefits of remote work privileges. More than four in 10 (42%) say they do so to save money rather than having to take unpaid leave, followed by the ability to extend their holiday (36%). A quarter (27%) of employees say that working from a holiday location would boost their productivity and another 25% say they do so because of fear that their employer would not approve their holidays.
Most workers believe there would be no significant consequences if their employers discovered they were secretly working from a holiday location, the study finds. Others, however, feel their employers would respond with strong repercussions. Some of these include:
- employers would not do anything about it if their work was completed (36%);
- employers would feel trust has been broken (28%);
- employers would give a formal warning or disciplinary action (28%); and
- employers would terminate the employment contract (7%).
