A Guide To Getting Out Of Doing Any Work For The Rest Of The Summer
It’s summertime, let’s be real—July is almost over and before you know it, we’ll be in September and back to the daily grind. Is it so unreasonable to only want to coast til Labor Day weekend? All we want is some time off, or at least be given the chance to work on autopilot for the remainder of the summer.
Here are some suggestions on how to avoid work without raising suspicion by your nosy co-workers and your boss. There are several subtle strategies you can put into play. One effective method is to politely and respectfully decline additional tasks by emphasizing your current workload. Don’t just say “no,” but offer an extremely long-winded, rambling, almost incoherent reason for not needing to do the assignment. Eventually, your manager will get frustrated, walk away and leave you alone.
If you’re uncomfortable being a jerk, you can say, "My schedule is already full" or "I need to prioritize my current projects" to communicate your busyness without appearing uncooperative. Alternatively, you can claim you got Covid and need to stay away from everyone, or lie and say your grandmother died (for the second time) and you need to help with the funeral arrangements.
Take Advantage Of Co-Workers
Find a sucker. Peanut brain a co-worker to take over the annoying tasks that you’ve neglected for weeks. To sweeten the pot, give the guy a bottle of fancy champagne to make up for your dumping work on his desk. This not only helps you avoid extra work, but also positions you as a team player who is looking out for the best interests of the project.
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How To Trick Your Boss
Avoid your direct manager at all costs. Just in case they’re snooping around, proactively manage your visibility. For instance, acting flustered and busy during peak times or when your boss is around can create the impression that you are fully occupied. Always leave half-eaten food and a cup of coffee on your desk, so your manager will think you’re working but just not in your office.
While it's understandable to feel the pull of summer leisure, it's important to maintain enough professional integrity to do the bare minimum of your work responsibilities so you won’t get fired.
If You Want To Play It Safe
Maximize your productivity during your most energetic hours, typically in the morning when it's cooler. By front-loading your workday and tackling important tasks early, you can potentially create more flexibility in your afternoons. This might allow you to skip out earlier to enjoy the longer summer evenings.
Be forthright. Speak with your manager about adjusting your work hours. Maybe ask for starting earlier (when people aren't around) and then leave earlier. Always have a trusted friend who can vouch for you by saying, “I just saw Rob down the hall; you must have just missed him” to bamboozle your boss.
In college, students manipulate their professor to have class held outside during nice weather. Similarly, tell your boss that you and your group are working outside.
It's also beneficial to take short breaks throughout the day to recharge. Pop into offices to bother your colleagues. Eventually, they’ll avoid you and you won’t have to do much work as you’ll be left alone. When you go for a coffee run, take your time. Make sure to be on your phone, talk loudly and angrily as if you’re trying to resolve a huge problem. Meanwhile, there is no problem and you’re not talking to anyone.
Lastly, if you have any flexibility in your work arrangements, consider discussing the possibility of remote work days (but you’ll be at the pool) with your supervisor. Alternatively, say that you’re working from a location that feels more summer-friendly, such as a local café or even outdoors. In reality, you’re at home taking a nap.
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Survey Says: I’m Taking Off Without Telling My Manager
In a recent survey by Harris Poll, nearly 40% of Millennial workers said they take time off without formally communicating it to their manager.
The respondents admitted to partaking in office workarounds, such as periodically moving their computer mouse to appear active, as well as scheduling messages to be sent outside of normal business hours to maintain the impression that they are going above and beyond for their employer by working overtime.
Why Workers Are Being Dishonest
The out-of-office study conducted by Harris Poll revealed that the current corporate culture around taking paid time off is what is prohibiting employees from utilizing their vacation days.
Seventy-six percent of American workers expressed that they wished their employer placed a greater emphasis on the value of taking time off. Nearly 80% of Americans do not use their maximum amount of PTO, citing the “pressure to always be available” as the top reason.
Millennials and Gen-Z report fearing their managers’ reactions, as well as the implications the time off may have on their future career prospects, such as raises and promotions.
Forty-nine percent of American workers said they get nervous when requesting PTO from their employer, which prompts them to lie to their manager.
Sticking It To Your Employer
Quiet vacationing may seem appealing to professionals who feel burned out or undervalued in the workplace. It allows you the time to quietly recharge and potentially return with more focus and productivity.
It may also be perceived as a justified employee response to unhealthy work cultures. Similar to quiet quitting, Bare Minimum Mondays and other TikTok-influenced workplace trends, quiet vacationing reinforces the mentality and power struggle of “it’s us versus them.” It gives workers the illusion that you are reclaiming the upper hand.
Lynne Oldham, Chief People Officer At Stash: Why HR Gets A Bad Rap
Lynne made it as an HR executive through a circuitous route across companies, industries and even countries. We tackle all of the different HR tropes out there, including whether HR is your enemy, how they might only serve executives or the companies, and how mass layoffs might happen.
Lynne gives us a sneak peek into what it's like working in HR as we tackle and dispel each of these myths one by one and through the lens of her time as the chief people officer at Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic and her transition to Stash, a purpose-focused company.
Thriving In Chaos: How To Be Super Successful, Wealthy And Happy In A F*cked-Up World
We all have something in common: there’s an innate human desire to succeed in life—socially and at work. We want to be loved, forge lasting, fulfilling relationships, enjoy career and financial success and lead wonderful, productive lives.
This seems reasonably simple enough. However, it’s getting exceedingly difficult to stand out in a crowded workplace to get noticed and appreciated for your hard work and efforts, especially in a doom-and-gloom, tough economic environment with high inflation and costs continually rising.
Success in life and work is about developing a holistic approach that nurtures various aspects of personal and professional growth. Despite the odds, you must cultivate a combination of factors that include possessing a positive mindset and attitude, grit, a strong work ethic, a sense of purpose and fostering constructive habits to reach your goals and ambitions.
The goal of this book is to offer the tools, advice and guidance to succeed in your life and work.