Little white lies about Wi-Fi are acceptable to half (49%) of working Americans avoiding checking into the office while on vacation, according to the 2019 Vacation Confidence Index by Allianz Global Assistance.
The survey also found that “email creep,” referring to 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. As a result, using limited phone service or Wi-Fi in a vacation destination has become the excuse du jour for employees this summer, Allianz said.
Most likely to use the excuse are Millennials (59%), followed by Gen X’ers (49%) and Boomers (32%). While men and women are equally honest, with no difference between the genders at 49 percent 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? According to Allianz, it’s 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%).
A quarter of all working Americans (24%), meanwhile, 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%).
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, with Millennials (64%) more likely choosing the more vacations with more checking in at work scenario. Boomers, meanwhile, were more likely (54%) to prefer fewer vacations if it means they could be unplugged from the office.
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