The most recent form of worker disengagement is a phenomenon known as quiet quitting. While this has nothing to do with quitting, if left unchecked by employers, it can lead to employees resigning from the company. Quiet quitting is defined by some as putting in the least amount of effort to achieve work objectives without going above and beyond. On the other hand, it may also be defined as simply setting strict boundaries with employers or supervisors to maintain a healthier life-work balance. 

In a nutshell, not doing more than what is required in your job has a new name: quiet quitting. 

Quiet quitting is rampant these days, and it’s a “thorough opportunity” for many companies to both get it right with employees and improve their work landscape for the future. 

How Employees Modified Their Work Approach 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, workplace culture underwent numerous changes, including the “Great Resignation.” To address this issue, many companies have adopted a remote model which allowed their employees to work from home or anywhere, completely changing the culture in the workplace. 

With newfound bargaining power, some employees are negotiating for better working conditions and benefits. They have expressed a desire for a less rigid separation of their professional and personal lives. To better align with their values, employees also made some career changes, from how they dress to shifting to a different career field.   

Quiet quitting is part of a larger concept which involves how work fits into our lives rather than the other way around. This is not a novel concept, but rather “a new brand.” As Generation Z enters the workforce, the concept of quiet quitting has gained traction in how Gen Z workers deal with burnout and never-ending work demands. Gen Z, however, is not the first generation to suffer from burnout, and quiet quitting is nothing new. Still, there is dissatisfaction with the term’s framing because it conflates doing the tasks for which you are paid to do on one hand, and having the intention of quitting your job because of doing these tasks on the other end of the spectrum. 

The term ‘quiet quitting’ is so annoying because it implies that people who do their jobs have somehow quit their jobs in a sense, casting workers as villains in a situation in which they are doing exactly what they were told. On the other hand, it is captured in such a way that employers benefit financially from employees doing extra work without having to pay them, even though it is entirely reasonable for employees to object to this.  

Would the Quiet Quitting Phenomenon Revive Employee Morale and Engagement? 

Every generation that enters the workforce quickly discovers that working isn’t all fun and easy. Navigating difficult leaders and the petty humiliations inflicted on the ranks have never been easy. And many young workers who say they don’t want to climb the corporate ladder end up changing their minds. 

It is critical to ensure that employees understand the meaning of success in their current roles. Most employees understand that the nature of the working world means that unexpected tasks may arise, or that an important deadline may cause a project that was supposed to be completed earlier in the day to be completed later in the day. 

When COVID-19 sent everyone home, it gave some people time to think about what they truly value. Many employees desired more time with their families and disliked commuting and spending money on gas and lunches. Employees can work from home or in a hybrid setting, and they may only come into the office three days a week or less. However, the lack of daily in-person contact allows people to disengage more easily, and there is less peer pressure to compete with top performers. 

When we’re at the office, we can see how much work and effort our co-workers put in, and we sometimes feel pressured to keep up. It’s different when you’re a remote worker sitting in front of a computer and possibly not interacting with anyone. You might be thinking: ‘Why would I take on the extra responsibilities?’ 

Employers who are dealing with employees showing signs of quiet quitting should fairly compensate them for the extra work done. And for the employees, setting boundaries can help them regain control if they are experiencing work burnout. Furthermore, addressing workplace conflict head-on can ease the tension. 

The problem arises when these exceptions become routine because the employer did not clearly outline them during the hiring process, or when an issue, such as being perpetually understaffed, was never raised early on. This entire phenomenon is really about a cultural transformation that is happening in the workplace, and it could happen in remote work too. A top-down, command-and-control culture is unsustainable in almost any organization. Organizations must further investigate and respond proactively to the issue of “quiet quitting”. 

Key Takeaways 

There is nothing wrong with employees wanting to stay at their current jobs as long as both employers and employees have clear expectations of each other. Workers who are burned out and resort to quiet quitting to cope with a stressful work environment may eventually quit the job unless employers are willing to look into and address challenges in the work environment and offer initiatives that promote and foster better working conditions. 

While the definition of quiet quitting may be contradictive, some companies have discovered that while it means employees doing less work or avoiding hustle culture, it may be a result of setting boundaries for a better work-life balance. Workers are taking a step back by finding their time to disconnect throughout the day, while for many, this is the reason to improve work efficiency and relieve work stress or pressure.  

Employers should provide opportunities to improve workplace cultures, such as virtual coffee talks or chit-chats, and virtual town hall meetings, to reset and boost employee morale. These activities would help motivate and engage employees to fuel an already robust service culture by going above and beyond their job descriptions to satisfy and serve their stakeholders.