Top-Secret PTO: Survey Sizes Up the “Quiet Vacationing” Trend

A 2023 survey conducted by Eagle Hill Consulting found more than 25% of public sector employees saying they hadn’t taken any vacation time in the past year, for a variety of reasons.

For example, 40% of these government employees said self-imposed pressure was deterring them from taking some time away, with 30% saying their heavy workload was preventing them from using vacation days. Another 19% cited pressure from managers as the main reason they haven’t been cashing in on their available paid time off (PTO).

More recent data, however, suggests that some workers might be feeling more comfortable about using vacation days this summer. They just might not bother to clear it with their supervisors first.

A new Harris Poll survey, for example, found 48% of U.S. employees saying they have previously taken a vacation day around the July 4^th holiday without receiving their employer’s permission, sometimes known as “quiet vacationing.”

In a separate poll, Resume Builder recently surveyed 1,050 U.S. employees, with 11% of respondents saying they’ve done the same at some point during the last year.

Among those who told Resume Builder they’ve taken unauthorized vacation days in that timeframe, 18% said they took at least one “secret” vacation day, while 42% said they took two to three, and 24% took four to five. Fifteen percent indicated they have taken six or more secret vacation days.

Why are workers taking unapproved PTO? One third of Resume Builder respondents said they were too anxious to ask for time off, while 31% just didn’t want to use up the PTO they’ve accrued. Another 30% believed that taking an authorized vacation day would make them appear less hard-working, and 29% felt they would be more likely to be laid off if they took vacation days.

And, with vacation season in full swing, 13% of employees said they intend to take PTO days without their employer’s permission this summer. Among this group, 5% suggested they would “definitely” do so, and 8% reported they would probably take “quiet vacation” days before summer’s end.

The Resume Builder poll also found one in three workers reluctant to use their PTO, for many of the same reasons that respondents to last year’s Eagle Hill Consulting survey cited—concerns over perceptions of their work ethic, anxiety about making PTO requests and job security-related worries, for example.

Stacie Haller, chief career advisor at Resume Builder, says organizations that don’t create a culture where employees feel comfortable taking much-needed time away could ultimately pay a steep price.

“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,” said Haller, in a statement. “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.”