I mean really, can you blame them?
Little white lies about cellphone service and Wi-Fi are acceptable to half (49%) of US employees to avoid workplace interruptions while on vacation, according to the 2019 Vacation Confidence survey released by Allianz Global Assistance.
“Email creep,” (no, not that strange new guy sitting next to you) when work obligations encroach on personal time, affects two thirds (65%) of workers who feel the need to check-in with the office while on vacation.
Crappy WiFi to the rescue
Hence, blaming limited phone service or crappy Wi-Fi has become the excuse du jour for employees this summer.
Most likely to use the excuse are:
- Millennials (59%)
- Gen X’ers (49%)
- Boomers (32%).
While men and women are equally honest (or dishonest), with no difference between the sexes at 49% each, those earning more than $50,000 a year are significantly more likely (53%) to use the excuse compared to those earning less than $50,000 (39%).
Who is the most likely person to pull the “I’m cutting out” excuse? A white (53%), college-educated (50%) Millennial (59%) who is married (53%) with children (53%) and working full time (50%) for an annual salary more than $50,000 (53%) in the Northeast (53%).
1 in 4 like ‘working vacations’
A quarter of all working Americans (24%), make a point not to go on vacation in places where poor cell reception or Wi-Fi access could disrupt their connection to the office.
Millennials (74%) are the most likely to check email while on vacation, but the rate is also high for Gen X’ers (58%) and Boomers (63%), with the most common reason: it makes catching up on work easier when returning to the office (34%).
A work/life balance issue
Despite the pressures to stay “online” and connected to the office while on vacation, the majority of working Americans (54%) would choose to work even more while away if it meant they were able to take more vacations throughout the year.
Millennials were more likely (64%) to opt for more vacations with more checking in at work scenario. Boomers were more likely (54%) to prefer fewer vacations if it means they could be unplugged from the office.
“Most working Americans feel pressured to spend their vacations attached to their work email, when they may just need a few days to unplug. Consequently, half of U.S. workers are willing to lie about lack of connectivity to set them free from work obligations,” said Daniel Durazo, director of marketing and communications at Allianz Global Assistance USA.
