Bosses are convinced Gen Z fakes Wi-Fi outages and sick days to sneak off in summer—but 1 in 2 senior managers are guilty of the same thing

It wasn’t just Gen Z and young millennials sneaking out of work and secretly taking some time off over the summer months.

Bosses have been at it too.

New research has found that productivity really does dip over the peak summer months—and that’s because workers, from the front line to corporate management, are ditching their desks to enjoy the warm weather.

The software company PDFFly surveyed 2000 managers and senior managers and found that while 85% of managers suspect their employees are making fake excuses to grab extra time off in the summer, half of management are doing exactly that themselves.

And the fake excuses are almost identical whether you’re an entry-level worker or the boss.

Managers say they think their employees are pretending their Wi-Fi is down, pulling a bogus dental or doctor’s appointment, or even a “sick” day, just to grab extra time off.

Yet when asked about the excuses they’re using to shut their laptops and enjoy a day out in the sunshine, managers admitted they’re guilty of fake “sick” days, followed by an exaggerated family obligation, a fake appointment, or a fake tech issue.

Shockingly, nearly 10% aren’t even making up excuses, opting instead to log on and do no work.

Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter who is at it.

But the bottom line is being impacted: Six in 10 managers have admitted output drops in summer—18% say “significantly,” 42% say “slightly,” and 37% say that they see more than a 10% dip in productivity.

In fact, a third say it’s gotten so bad that the company lost a client or missed a deal.

4 in 10 millennials take a quiet vacation—others are taking paid medical leave Managers aren’t the only ones getting creative to take more time off.

Nearly 4 in 10 millennials admit to “quiet vacationing”—secretly taking time off and going on holiday without ever telling their boss.

They bring their work phone to the beach and check in every so often just to avoid getting caught.