Remote workers quietly take on their “tasks” without telling their boss

Remote working has enabled the rise of “silent jobs,” when employees work remotely, often from a vacation location, without informing their boss.

The COVID-19 pandemic has helped fuel this trend, not only because it has fueled the rise of remote working, but also because it has given people time to reevaluate their lives, according to the high school coach. performance Rudi Riekstins.

“They started to question who they were, what they wanted, who they were dating, who they were married to, what job they had, how much money they made,” says Riekstins, who works with businesses and employees. “And so people started to really feel some unease about what wasn’t working in their lives, what before the rat race was making them sort of avoid. And so as everyone went back to work, they started saying, “You know, I’m going back to work, but I’m going back to work on my terms.” »

A study reveals that nearly one in three people say they have used remote working as an opportunity to work from a vacation location without telling their boss. The survey of 2,000 U.S. workers found that 29% used their vacation trips to work remotely and did so without telling anyone at work. The survey was commissioned by Mews, a hotel cloud system, and conducted by OnePoll.

Riekstins says work can be good for both the worker and the employer, because workers can stagnate when life is mundane.

“Productivity increases on average by 70% when people are happier doing their work. And we see people happy when they travel because they are energized,” he says. “You start to get stimulated emotionally, mentally and physically, and then when you show up to work, you’re a lot more creative.”

Some players in the hospitality industry offer special work deals to help them improve their bottom line, especially during slower seasons.

Sandy Wieber owns the 17-room Bayfront Marin House in St. Augustine, Florida. She also rents eight beach cottages. Wieber worked remotely for eight years and now offers work equipment she would have found useful.

“Good lighting, a good workspace and access to a printer made it easier for employees working away from home,” Wieber told VOA via email. “I also wanted my partner to do something during the day, so I included tickets for our city’s tram, as well as recommendations for things to do alone and something to do together. that’s why I included a couples massage.

Wieber says they’ve welcomed remote workers for years, but it’s become more prevalent since the pandemic.

“We recently took in a man with his whole family,” she said. “He stayed in one of our big beach cottages. He had some pretty specific requests, including having a space to work on his second floor porch, so he could hear the ocean while he worked.

The 13-room Gray Havens Inn, located on the waterfront in Georgetown, Maine, wants to attract young workers.

“We also have a lot of young travelers, but not as many as we would like, which is part of why we started this program,” says innkeeper Ali Barrionuevo. “I heard about other hotels doing it…so we put it out there to see if we could attract people working from home.”

Gray Havens is offering a working special that includes 25 percent off a seven-day stay, plus daily breakfast, a welcome pack of snacks and drinks, and, like Weiber, personalized itineraries after -noon.

“So when they’re done working, we work with them to find out what they like, and then create itineraries that help them get to the things they want or should see, in a limited time,” says- She. We can help them be effective.

But so far, Barrionuevo says, only one visitor has taken advantage of his “Hush Trip Extended Stay” package.

A 2023 study found that 51% of Gen Z workers (employees under the age of 27) who took a low-key trip while at work did so after their leave request was unsuccessful. not been approved.

But not all work has to be secret. Riekstins says some of his clients accept work, as long as the work gets done.

“A number of organizations I work with now don’t care where their people work, as long as they produce results and it’s done during office hours,” he says. “Companies should really ask themselves: ‘Are my employees happy?’ And if they have the ability to work anywhere, as long as they do their job, will I get a better product and a better outcome from the people who work with me? And will I keep them any longer?’