Almost Half of Gen Z Workers Have Taken a 'Hush Trip' on the Job
Secret vacations where managers are kept in the dark are on the rise, a new survey reports.
As a card-carrying union member, a media worker in 2024, and a lifelong admirer of actors who were communists, please know that all of the following information I'm about to present to you is not rooted in anti-worker bias. "Hush trips"—where remote employees sign on to work from a vacation destination without disclosing their location to their boss—are on the rise, especially among younger workers.
According to a recent study from ResumeBuilder.com, 44% of Gen Z workers admit to taking a hush trip. To get the data, the resume platform surveyed 916 workers between the ages of 18 and 26 in July 2023. The study also found that:
- 57% of hush trip takers gave the impression they were still working normal hours
- 65% used a virtual background to trick their employers
- One-third worked two hours or less per day
- The majority of hush trip takers weren't found out and/or suffered no consequences
The results of the study are undoubtedly going to be used by certain individuals as yet another reason to believe that Gen Z, and young people in general, are lazy workers who actually don't deserve affordable housing. But not so fast! This study made its way to the r/HumanResources subreddit, and the discerning folks over there aren't falling for the "Gen Z workers are entitled" party line.
"I've worked with executives and managers well before the pandemic who would call into meetings while on vacation or at a second home in a state where we had no presence," the top-rated comment on the thread reads. "If we’re going to start punishing people for doing that, it needs to be applied fairly to all employees."
The biggest takeaway from all of the comments was that as long as the work is getting done and it's not violating any tax or visa laws, what does it matter?
"I can genuinely say good for them," another Redditor wrote. "I'm a firm believer that all that matters is if the job is getting done. If someone can take a trip and still get their job done, I'm fine with them doing so."
If you're feeling inspired, the thread also offered some tips on how to best set up your tech so you can take your hush trip with even more ease. Just keep in mind that 41% of respondents reported that their hush trip didn't stay so quiet. Of the group who got caught, 71% were reprimanded and 7% were fired.
And if the micromanagers out there really want to limit the number of hush trips their employees are taking, please develop a sense of identity outside of your job, and maybe get some hobbies. Most importantly, consider offering or advocating for more robust PTO packages, and then let them take that PTO. A little more than half of respondents in the ResumeBuilder study shared that they took the hush trip because their vacation request was denied.
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