Feel like you need a 'quiet vacation?' Why that's not a good sign

For many offices, summer is one of the slowest times of the year. As clients and coworkers take vacations and spend more time with their families, the workday can become a little less hectic.

Senior contributor Jack Kelly points out in his recent story for Forbes that this more relaxed pace could lead some workers to try out the latest trend in pretending to work: quiet vacationing .

Kelly writes about a recent Harris Poll, which found that nearly 40% of Millennial workers said they take time off without formally communicating it with their manager. How do they do this? By using workarounds such as periodically moving their computer mouse to appear “online,” or scheduling messages and emails to send outside of working hours to give off the impression that they are going above and beyond by working into the evening.

This behavior is dishonest and even dangerous, as employees who participate in quiet vacationing run the risk of being found out, which at best would lead to a loss of trust with their employer and at worst could be cause for termination.?

Still, the Harris Poll revealed that many “quiet vacationers” have reasons for participating in the activity, with the poll finding that 76% of American workers expressed that they wished their employers focused more on the value of taking time off, while almost 80% of Americans do not use their maximum amount of PTO, citing the “pressure to always be available” as the top reason.

The poll also found that many workers fear the consequences of requesting too much time off (even if the hours are included in their benefits package), citing concerns like the fear of being overlooked for raises or promotions.

I think Kelly’s story is fascinating, because it shows that there is a growing gap between employees and employers when it comes to handling paid time off. To narrow that gap and avoid burnout, Kelly suggests checking your employee handbook or having a discussion with HR to ensure that you fully understand the policy for requesting time off. Furthermore, it’s important to put in work so that you have an open and trusting relationship with your boss, which will make being upfront about your vacation plans more achievable.?

And if building that kind of relationship with your supervisor seems impossible, it may be time to ask yourself if your current work situation is sustainable, and whether a change in scenery might be for the best. If you are forced to consider deceptive options such as quiet vacationing, you are putting your career at risk.?

Read the full story: ‘Quiet vacationing’ raises ethical questions this summer

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Tips & Strategies: Avoid these clichéd business phrases on your LinkedIn profile

Have you ever been in a meeting or at a work conference and the speaker just keeps spouting off one jargon-filled phrase after another?

Such presentations can be exhausting, because using platitudes and catch-phrases often makes a speech feel long, drawn out and hollow in the middle. In his recent story for Forbes, contributor Chris Westfall wrote about a new survey from Careerminds.com that identifies some of the most-hated phrases in the professional world.

Avoid trying to sound like an “insider” and delete the following buzzwords and phrases from your next presentation or LinkedIn profile:

1. Push the envelope
2. Act your wage
3. Change agent
4. Deliverables
5. Mission critical

Make sure to check out Westfall’s full story for even more phrases to avoid.

Read the full story: Avoid these 10 clichéd business phrases on your LinkedIn profile

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Thank you for reading! We’ll be back Thursday with another edition of Forbes Edge.?

This edition of Forbes Edge was written and curated by associate editor Chris Dobstaff .