Clocking out on the dot, not working overtime, only doing your assigned daily tasks, and fewer contributions to team projects.
These are the distinctive features of “quiet quitting” – a term that refers to the idea of rejecting the so-called ‘hustle’ culture and setting job boundaries by reducing your input to the minimum requirement in your workplace and prioritising yourself above the occupations.
Despite its name, “quiet quitting” doesn’t actually involve quitting at all. Instead, it essentially highlights individuals that show up and fulfil their contractual hours each week but will refuse to take on any additional responsibilities, work later than they are contractually obliged to, ignore after-hours emails, and avoid helping with tasks that don’t naturally fall within their remit.
The thought process behind this new workplace trend is that the act of “quiet quitting” can help reduce burnout, set healthy professional boundaries, and help employees regain a healthy sense of work-life balance.
Quiet Quitting – A revolution in how we work or the end of working hard
For many, quiet quitting has come from nowhere. However, the concept itself has been around for a while but it has seen a surge recently from TikTok.
“Quiet Quitting” – the idea rapidly found fame after Zaid Khan, the 24-year-old software developer from America reflected on his own interpretation.
“I recently learned about this term called “quiet quitting”, where you’re not outright quitting your job, but you’re quitting the idea of going above and beyond. You’re still performing your duties but you’re no longer subscribing to the hustle culture mentality where work has to be your life”, says TikTok @zaidleppelin in a recent TikTok video, which has since amassed 3.5mn views and almost 500k likes.
In fact, the #QuietQuitting hashtag currently has over 4.5m views, and TikTok users have been sharing the ways they are quietly quitting and the benefits they are seeing. This is a huge contributor to the new wave of quiet quitting being seen right now.
Why are people quiet quitting
Quiet quitting may be a popular term, but this practice isn’t new. Workers have quietly quit their jobs for years to look for something new – whether it was because of poor pay, lack of growth opportunities, or burnout.
Experts say “quiet quitting” is a direct result and extension of last year’s Great Resignation, where companies globally saw workers leaving their jobs in droves.
During the pandemic, many people suffered burnout as they tried to balance work, family commitments, and the mental stress of being confined at home. Conversely, others enjoyed the perks of lockdown and hybrid or remote working – greater family and leisure time, and no more commute to and from work. On returning to the office and getting back to their regular work routine, perhaps the idea of quiet quitting was devised because people realised they don’t want this lifestyle anymore – working long and antisocial hours – especially after experiencing a preferable work-life balance during the lockdown.
The drastic workforce shift during Covid19 and lockdown has largely brought quiet quitting into the spotlight. According to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends 2022 report, the pandemic spurred employees to prioritise their well-being. More people had time to think and re-evaluate their relationship to work– not just how they work, but why.
As well as this, staff shortages have led some employers to ask their staff to take on new or additional tasks, sometimes without more pay. Being asked to go ‘above and beyond’ in your role can reasonably be expected every now and again. But, when this becomes a common theme, employees quietly avoid the kind of additional efforts one might make for recognition or career advancement.
The Key Takeaway
If you feel like you’ve become a quiet quitter, perhaps the bigger question you need to ask is whether your job is making you happy.
If the answer is no, it’s time to change positions and look for another job.
Fortunately, there are lots of work opportunities out there that could offer you the fulfilment you’ve been missing.