Cubicle to Cabana: More Business Professionals Disconnecting While on Vacation
Business professionals seem to be taking their vacation seriously this summer, with more planning to disconnect entirely from the workplace while away.
In all, only 40% of business professionals said they plan to work at least 30 minutes while on vacation this summer, a new Office Pulse study of 574 white-collar workers found. That’s down significantly from last summer when a whopping 63% of professionals said they planned to work while on vacation.
Baby Boomers were the most likely age group to turn it off while on vacation. 67% say they will not devote any time to work while on vacation, followed by Gen Xers (59%) and Millennials (58%).
The move to disconnect more from work could be linked to stress levels. A recent study of full-time US employees found that over 60% of workers said they feel stressed at least three workdays per week, on average.
Companies are also killing off the popular tradition of Summer Fridays. This year, just 20% of companies are offering the seasonal perk, down from a whopping 63% in 2012. Combine higher levels of stress with fewer outlets to unwind and you’ve got a recipe for office overload.
WFV: Work from Vacation
Which of the following best describes how much you will work during your summer vacation? |
How much time do you plan to spend working while on vacation? |
Summer Sabbatical? Business professionals aren’t skimping on the amount of vacation days they’re taking this summer: 37% said they plan to take 6-10 days off while 23% plan to take more than 10 days. Just 7% of white-collar workers don’t plan to take any time off this summer.
When do you plan to take your summer vacation?
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Professional … Penny Pincher
Despite Office Pulse panel members having an average household income of $100,000, survey respondents don’t seem to be shelling out the big bucks for their summer vacations. In fact, they’re quite frugal. 51% plan to spend less than $1,000 on their summer vacation.
Cheap Charge: When it comes to paying for their trip, 71% said they plan to charge at least some of their vacation costs, while 28% will use reward miles/points.
Supporting the notion that business professionals are white-collar cheapskates, 30% admitted to outright stealing hotel toiletries, while 22% reserve this base act to toiletries that “smell good.”
Other insights include:
- 42% said they were going to a beach
- A leading 32% said JetBlue was their favorite airline
- 35% book their vacation 2-3 months in advance
- 30% are staying with family or friends while traveling
Employees are getting vocal, and witty, about the fact that they want to be left alone while on vacation. Some solid out-of-office messages out there include:
“I’ll be spending my entire time in a hot air balloon with zero access to WiFi or human beings.”
“I am away on a beach. Leave a message and I will ignore it in the order received.”
“I’m not here right now. You can try calling me, but there’s only about a 25% chance I even know where my phone is.”
“I am on vacation and not checking my email. Please do not have an emergency in my absence, but if you must, please contact one of my co-workers who might grudgingly assist you. Think of me on the beach with a drink in my hand and know that while I am not thinking of you.”
Business Class
Even with the recent United and Delta airline incidents making headlines, a whopping 79% of business professionals said the recent airline drama won’t impact their travel plans. That could be beneficial, since 31% said they were traveling 1,000 miles or more for their summer trip. 17% said they were specifically going abroad.
If you’re flying anywhere this summer, make sure to follow the unspoken rules of airplane etiquette. Here are a few of the major pet peeves among business professionals:
About Office Pulse
Office Pulse by Captivate offers marketers timely analysis and insights from a proprietary panel of upscale professionals in the top markets. The Office Pulse panel of more than 8,000 influential consumers and business decision makers includes C-level executives, Millennials, middle management, small business owners, working women and working moms.
About Captivate
Known for its vast network of nearly 12,000 elevator displays located in 1,600 premier office buildings across North America, Captivate connects advertisers with 13 million unique monthly viewers through creative, research-driven and Nielsen-measured advertising and marketing programs. By engaging its viewers with timely news and actionable information that helps balance the personal and professional demands of the workday, Captivate provides advertisers with a highly desirable and difficult-to-reach audience of affluent and influential business professionals. Founded in 1997, Captivate is owned by Generation Partners. For more information, please visit www.captivate.com.
