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"

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


