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Work Avoidance Goes Digital: AI Sees 530% Spike in Leave Request Help

The Post-Holiday Blues Hit AI Assistants Hard

As offices reopened nationwide on February 24, artificial intelligence platforms became unexpected witnesses to collective workplace reluctance. Qwen, a popular AI assistant, reported a staggering 530% single-day increase in requests for help drafting absence letters - painting a vivid picture of post-holiday adjustment struggles.

Creative Excuses Flood AI Inboxes

The surge revealed workers' inventive approaches to prolonging their holiday spirit. Platform logs showed searches like:

  • "What if I just... don't go?"
  • "Give me a boss-proof excuse"
  • "How to request tomorrow off without sounding suspicious"

Image

Reality Check with a Silver Lining

While dutifully providing template responses, Qwen's developers included gentle reminders about inevitable returns to routine. Their solution? Strategic vacation planning. By combining this year's Mid-Autumn Festival (September 25) and National Day holidays with annual leave, workers could theoretically create a 17-day continuous break from September 25 through October 11.

The phenomenon highlights how AI tools increasingly mediate workplace relationships while exposing universal human tendencies - in this case, the age-old struggle between responsibility and the desire for just... one... more... day off.

Key Points:

  • Unprecedented demand: Leave request assistance queries jumped over fivefold
  • Cultural snapshot: Requests reveal widespread post-holiday adjustment challenges
  • Practical solution: AI suggests strategic vacation stacking for extended breaks

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