Almost half of New Zealand employees have already worked, or would consider working, remotely from a holiday destination without telling their employer, according to new research by recruitment company Robert Half.
The company says that when asked if they have, or would consider, working remotely from a holiday destination without telling their employer, one in 10 (11%) workers said they have done so and 34% would consider doing it in the future.
For 55% of employees, however, taking advantage of remote work entitlements by working at a holiday destination is a step too far and they have not done it and would not consider it.
Megan Alexander, managing director at Robert Half says in a statement that the widespread adoption of remote work “has given rise to an interesting trend of what is being dubbed as ‘quiet vacationing’, which is seeing workers capitalise on the flexibility of their job to work from holiday destinations without disclosing it to their employers”.
She says this trend highlights the evolving nature of work-life boundaries in the modern workplace, as employees seek greater balance between their personal and professional lives.
“However, while everyone deserves a break to fully recharge, secretly blending work and holidays can damage trust and lead to friction in the workplace.”
Robert Half says the oldest generation in the workplace is by far the least likely to secretly take their work with them on vacation (26%), followed by 47% of Gen Z, 50% of Gen X and 56% of Millennials.
Why employees take their work with them on holiday
Of those who have worked remotely or would consider working remotely from a holiday destination, more than half (58%) say they are simply tapping into the benefits of remote work privileges.
About four in 10 (41%) state they do so to save money rather than having to take unpaid leave, followed by 34% saying working from a holiday location would boost their productivity.
One in three (31%) like the ability to extend their holiday and another 21% say they do so because of fear their employer will not approve their holidays.
How would employers react
If employees were discovered secretly working from a holiday location, the majority of workers believe there would be no significant consequences for them. But others feel their employers would implement strong repercussions.
When asked what their employer would likely do if they found out their staff were working from a holiday destination:
- 33% believe their employer would likely do nothing about it, as long as their work was done.
- 32% believe their employer would feel trust has been broken but there would be no further consequences.
- 28% think they would receive a formal warning or disciplinary action if they were found out.
- 7% of employees believe their employment contract would be terminated.
Alexander says companies should analyse the motivations behind ‘quiet vacationing’ so that employees don’t feel the need to do so.
“By acknowledging the drivers behind this trend, employers can foster a more supportive and adaptable workplace culture while establishing clear guidelines to prevent potential misuse of flexible work arrangements,” she says.
Robert Half says it developed the study which was conducted online in June 2024 by an independent research company, surveying 501 full-time office workers in New Zealand. The survey is part of the international workplace survey.
