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Happy 4th of July!
Whether you’re celebrating the 247th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence by firing up the grill for a bumper barbeque, lighting up the sky with a pyrotechnic panorama, or something a little more low-key, it’s a great time to unwind.
Not all fourth-of-Julys are born equal, though. The amount of time off given by employers to individuals to enjoy the celebrations varies.
According to a study by the Harris Poll Thought Leadership Practice, 42% of employees get more than one day off during the week of July fourth. 24% get two days off, and an even luckier 10% of workers say their employer is closed for the full week. For an unfortunate 22%, employers remain open throughout the fourth.
With company-wide time off far from a given, many employees are skirting around the issue by playing some good old-fashioned hooky. What could be more patriotic than that?
48% of American workers have ‘quiet vacationed’ around the 4th of July
Nearly half of US workers admit that they practiced ‘quiet vacationing’ – sneaking off work without formally requesting paid time off (PTO) – around the July fourth holiday.
For Gen Z and millennial employees, as well as managers, the number is even higher, at 56% and 55% respectively.
It’s a trend that we can safely expect to continue this year, as productivity once again grinds to a halt during the holiday.
45% of American workers admit they ‘barely do any work’ around July fourth and given this year the holiday sits on a Thursday, it’s a safe bet that even if your offices are open on the fourth and or the fifth, not much work is getting done until Monday.
But if you’re worried about your employees sneaking off work without formally requesting PTO to lounge on the beach, vacation with friends and family, or even just use the lull to catch up on some much-needed napping, it could be a warning sign of an unhealthy company culture.
‘Quiet vacationing’ fears should prompt a review of your PTO culture
Quiet vacationing occurs because employees are not satisfied with the company’s PTO offering, or the culture that underpins it.
Unsustainably high workloads, coupled with expectations be constantly online and available for work – particularly in the younger Gen Z and millennial demographics where “quiet vacationing” is so prevalent – may be making it difficult for employees to feel they can take a break.
If employees feel like they will suffer unfair judgment (or even retaliation) from other workers, managers, and leaders within the business for taking PTO, it may push them to appear available and avoid requesting time off.
It could also be that workers feel confident that taking a few illicit hours back would increase their output and, given the pace of work slows over the holidays, come at little cost to their business.
So, if you fear that your employees may be quiet vacationing this fourth of July, rather than attempting to ‘crack down’ on the trend, consider the alternatives.
Firstly, given productivity will inherently be low, you may decide simply to take the choice out of the hands of workers and close your organization for multiple days, or even the whole week.
61% of Gen and millennial workers support this option, and 35% of all workers said a full week off would actually lead to them being more productive. Giving workers a break would also help with creativity, motivation, engagement, and retention, and these gains would likely come at a time when the business is busier.
Secondly, even if your business is not willing or able to close for a longer period, consider reviewing your PTO culture. Get to grips with how comfortable workers feel taking time off, and if they feel their current vacation plan affords them enough time to relax and recharge.
And lastly, from the team at HR Grapevine, however you spend your fourth of July – on formal PTO (well done you), quiet vacationing (we won’t tell if you won’t), or even working (rather you than us) – have a very happy Independence Day!
