1 in 8 Workers Plan on Quiet Vacationing This Summer

On Jun 12, 2024

ResumeBuilder.com has published a recent survey report investigating the prevalence of quiet vacationing among corporate workers. The report also highlights the reasons why workers opt not to utilize their paid time off. ResumeBuilder.com experts surveyed 1,050 corporate workers who have PTO benefits.

Survey findings reveal that 92% of workers “definitely” or “probably” believe that their direct manager supports the use of PTO. However, only 36% of respondents “always” use their allotted PTO each year. Additionally, 34% “often” utilize it, 22% “sometimes” do so, 6% “rarely,” and 2% “never.” Moreover, 37% of respondents worry that taking PTO will impact their job security.

“There are too many employees who fear that utilizing their entitled time off might signal to management a lack of dedication, undermine their reputation for hard work, or even make them vulnerable to layoffs,” says Resume Builder’s Chief Career Advisor Stacie Haller. “When companies extend PTO benefits without addressing these underlying anxieties, it not only fails to motivate, but can also erode retention of their most valued employees.”

The survey results also indicate that 11% of employees have taken a vacation day without their employer’s permission in the past year. In fact, 13% of respondents plan on quiet vacationing this summer. The main reasons for this include anxiety about requesting time off, not wanting to use PTO days, concerns about not appearing hardworking, and fear of being laid off.

To maintain the appearance of working a full day while on an unapproved vacation, quiet vacationers continued to answer emails, take phone calls, respond to instant messages, attend virtual meetings, and meet project deadlines. However, 46% report that their employer discovered they were on vacation.

This survey was commissioned by ResumeBuilder.com and conducted online via the survey platform Pollfish in May 2024. A total of 1,050 respondents completed the full survey. To qualify, all participants had to work in a corporate environment (i.e., an office job as opposed to a field job) and receive PTO benefits. To view the complete report, please visit: https://www.resumebuilder.com/1-in-8-workers-plan-on-quiet-vacationing-this-summer/

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