Can You Email Me Now? Half of Americans Lie to Their Boss About Having Wifi on Vacation: Survey
Lying to your boss about your Wi-Fi access and cell reception while on vacation is a growing trend when taking time off from work, a new survey found.
Nearly half (49%) of working Americans said that using this tactic to stay out of contact with the office is acceptable, according to the 2019 Vacation Confidence Index by Allianz Global Assistance.
With many people using their personal smart phones for work-related activities, the possibility of “email creep,” which Allianz defines as when your “work obligations encroach on personal time,” is much higher, they found.
In fact, this issue affects more than two thirds (65%) of workers on vacation, which causes many employees to feel the need to lie about their cell reception or wifi connectivity.
WATCH THIS: Five Vacation Homes Rented by Celebrities
“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.
The likelihood of using this excuse varies among different age groups and pay ranges. The survey found that Millennials are most likely to use this reason (59%), while Gen X’ers are in second (49%) and Boomers in third (32%).
RELATED: Amazon Shoppers Call This Sleek WiFi System ‘One of the Best Purchases Ever’
Those with high paychecks are also more likely to use the excuse, the survey citing those who earn more than $50,000 a year as much more likely (53%) to tell the lie than those making less than the $50,000 (39%).
Still, considering connectivity as a vacation must-have is becoming increasingly common. Allianz found that workers will still check-in with their office while on vacation. Some 24% will only choose a location where cell service is guaranteed.
Most participants cited their reasoning for checking email on vacation as having less work to do when getting back to the office.
On that token, millennials ranked the highest among workers, with 74% staying connected to the office during time off.
The notion of “email creep” is so prevalent that Allianz added that many working Americans, specifically millennials (64%), would just prefer to continue to check their emails while away if it meant they could take more vacations over the year.
However, Boomers would rather be completely unplugged on vacation, despite the possibility of having less vacation time.
