Why Quiet Vacationing Signals a Bigger Problem

Quiet vacationing may look like a misuse of Wi-Fi: someone joins a meeting from a beach or a villa while pretending to work from home. But secretly working while away is often a symptom of a deeper workplace problem. Burned-out employees may feel compelled to stay connected, while a lack of trust can make them reluctant to be open about taking leave. Treating the behavior as a clever ploy—and responding with tighter oversight—risks missing what is driving it.

Employees need time to recharge, and more vacation time matters to professionals when they consider a job. At the same time, highly engaged employees are less likely to feel an urgent need to escape work. That points to a broader issue than whether someone checks messages on a trip: employees who feel energized and connected to their work may be less likely to feel they need to hide a break.

The goal, then, is not to create a cat-and-mouse game between managers and employees. It is to build a workplace where people feel trusted and empowered to unplug. Quiet vacationing can be a signal to look at whether employees feel able to take time off openly—and whether their work and workplace are helping them recharge rather than pushing them toward escape.

Make Work More Meaningful, Not Perfect

Work doesn’t have to be a passion project every minute of the day. Passion can be overrated: a sense of purpose can help people through an occasional lull or motivational dip, even when they aren’t especially passionate about every task. When employees see how their work serves a meaningful mission, they have a reason to keep going on hard days.

Leaders can support that motivation by focusing on the quality of work. Aim to reduce tedious busywork and give employees more opportunities to do work that feels meaningful. Let them explore their interests, even if that means adjusting job descriptions or collaborating with other departments. Cross-functional teams can help employees gain experience in new domains and discover capabilities they may not have known they had.

Some routine tasks can’t simply be reassigned. Rote, manual work can drain time and energy, so encourage employees to look for ways to automate it and share useful solutions with their teams. Meaningful work won’t make every day easy, but it can give people a reason to push through difficult ones without needing to love every part of their job.

Replace Vacation Resentment With Trust

Quiet vacationing can be rooted in fear: employees may worry they’ll be judged for taking leave. When a vacation announcement is met with a chilly “must be nice,” people may feel safer concealing their time away than being open about it. That kind of response signals that trust between colleagues is missing.

Engagement can help build trust. Employees who care about their work and teammates are more willing to support colleagues when needed—and more forthcoming when they need support themselves. In that environment, vacation resentment can become the exception rather than the rule.

Leaders can strengthen relationships by making space for social rituals and team-building. Even small gestures, such as bringing in takeout for the team a couple of times a month, can help people feel more connected. Regular collaboration across functions can also foster trust and mutual understanding. At Jotform, cross-functional teams work together toward weekly Friday demo days, creating opportunities for interaction that help bond even newer team members.

These relationships make support feel more natural, not forced. When colleagues understand one another and trust each other’s intentions, employees have less reason to hide their leave—and more confidence that teammates will support them while they recharge.

Let Employees Recharge in Different Ways

Time away from work doesn’t refresh everyone in the same way. Some employees need to disconnect completely to recharge. Others may feel less stressed if they can check in occasionally and make sure nothing urgent needs their attention. Neither approach should be treated as the only right way to take a break.

Rather than impose a bright-line rule about availability, give employees room to manage their energy while they’re away. That means clearly communicating what is expected, while making clear where flexibility is possible. When people know what their team needs and feel trusted to choose an approach that works for them, they don’t have to hide their time off or pretend to be working.

Rigid availability rules can miss the point: employees need time to recharge, and different people have different needs. Leaders can set expectations without insisting that everyone unplug in exactly the same way. The goal is to build enough trust that employees can take leave openly, whether they prefer to go fully out of pocket or check in now and then. That flexibility helps make time away feel restorative, not like another source of stress.