The pandemic changed our lives in many ways, one of which was the transition from office to remote work. In early 2020, companies across the world allowed their employees to work from home. Three years later, Covid-induced restrictions have largely been lifted, but remote work continues to be popular, especially among young professionals who like the freedom of working from the comfort of home while saving on commute costs.
But as life returns to normal, and travel sees a surge after months of pandemic-related restrictions, another trend is projected to become more popular this year – hush trips.
According to a report in Fortune, hush trips are essentially vacations that remote employees take without informing their companies or bosses. The secrecy is necessary because although many companies are still following the work from home model, working from anywhere is different. This means that employees logging in from different cities or countries may be frowned upon.
“For some individuals, full-on digital nomadism is too extreme. That’s precisely why 'hush trips' have the potential to be the newest travel trend in 2023. Remote workers pack up and head somewhere new for a limited amount of time—think a week or two, rather than all year—without ever telling their employer,” Becky Pokora explained in a piece for Forbes.
Hush trips may require a certain amount of planning and subterfuge – employees, for example, may be forced to wear a sweater during their beach vacation for Zoom calls, or log in at odd hours if in a different time zone – but many feel the rewards are worth the risk.
A survey conducted by RV rental marketplace RVShare and Wakefield Research found that 56% of American polled said they are very or extremely likely to participate in a hush trip this year.
While the concept of taking a hush trip sounds sneaky, if not downright deceitful, many feel the ‘workation’ is actually good for their mental and physical health. One German employee, for example, told Insider that working from the Canary Islands during the winter helped boost productivity, which in turn led to a promotion.
But there are drawbacks. Besides the obvious one of getting into trouble at work if discovered, hush trips, especially longer ones, can also pose legal issues if the company is not registered in other states or countries. Cybersecurity is another area where hush trips may become dangerous.
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