The story of the month is one that’s swept the internet, gracing headlines around the globe. Some fear it – others find it empowering. But one thing is certain: for some reason, whether you love it or hate it, it’s not going away any time soon. It’s called quiet quitting, and it’s a powerful indicator of how the future of work will unfold. But what exactly is this prevailing trend? And why is it so widespread now?
What is quiet quitting?
Quiet quitting is a trend coined by TikTokker @zkchillin, whose post that reminds audiences that “your worth is not defined by your productive output” quickly went viral on July 25th. The general definition of quiet quitting is not “going above and beyond” at your job – clocking in, doing enough not to get fired, and tapping out right when the workday ends. Some define quiet quitting as something you do while searching for a new job. Others say that quiet quitting is a lifestyle achievable for anyone who wants it.
According to a survey from ResumeBuilder.com, more people “quietly quit” than one might think. In a survey of 1,000 knowledge workers, 21 percent say that they do the bare minimum, and an additional five percent report doing less than that – that’s one-quarter of all respondents who quietly quit. One in three quiet quitters have reduced the amount that they work by more than 50 percent, and one out of twenty say that their reduced engagement hasn’t gone unnoticed by their managers. The top reason that quiet quitters cite for reducing their workload is that they don’t want to work additional hours for no financial compensation.
The idea that someone is quietly quitting makes it seem like they’re ceasing to work at all. But people have been unexceptional workers for as long as jobs have existed. And no matter the role, there will always be someone to do it mediocrely. So why is it becoming a fad now, and what does that mean for the future of work?
Why are people doing it?
Experts at Fortune believe that working from home creates emotional distance between employees and employers that fosters an environment of apathy. Others say that quiet quitting is just a new label for an age-old issue and that younger generations are more comfortable talking about uncomfortable topics like paychecks, bad bosses, or work impacting their wellbeing.
Some employees quietly quit because they don’t like their jobs or their work isn’t mentally stimulating. Others are burnt out from working too hard, spending years grinding away at an office for twelve hours at a time. And finally, employees who had the opportunity to work remotely during the pandemic have realized the merits of a work-life balance and are interested in cultivating an identity outside of excessive work.
The quiet quitting debate
Opinions on this fad are mixed. Some think that quiet quitting is the only way to handle the stress of being a knowledge worker, and others believe it to be a sin of unforgivable proportions.
Bitter quitters
Those against quiet quitting don’t just see it as a problem with work ethic, though that is a big part of the equation. Some in the mental health field see quiet quitting as indicative of a larger problem many people have with conflict avoidance. In these cases, they compare quiet quitting to “ghosting” your company as one would a Tinder date. Additionally, some argue that quiet quitting is exhausting, and the time spent trying to avoid work is almost the same as the bandwidth it takes to work hard.
Another qualm to be had with quiet quitting is that it indicates a lack of drive to some employers. Shark Tank icon Kevin O’Leary famously said that quiet quitting makes you a “loser,” one who delights in being lazy and holding your company back. And in hustle culture or grind culture, there’s nothing worse than someone who isn’t putting their all into furthering their careers.
Quiet aspirants
On the other side of the quiet quitting debate are those who see this pattern as a regression to the mean. Over the past twenty years, smartphone usage and home computers have taken work from something you did at the office to something you could do all the time. And quarantine made round-the-clock work even more accessible, as work was one of the only ways to pass the time when stuck at home.
Now that the world has opened up again, the almost hyperbolic goal of constant productivity that has saturated company cultures for the past few decades is fading away. Employees are reconsidering their health, their interpersonal relationships, and their connection with work. And that means clocking out at five without a second thought.
Rethinking quiet quitting
You might be thinking about quiet quitting while you search for a new job that you find more engaging. Or you might have already quietly quit, keeping your head down and committing to only the bare essentials of your job. Ultimately, if you want to quit quietly, don’t consider it a moral failing or a reflection of your character. As long as you’re not leaving your teammates in the lurch, you’re entitled to take it easy without feeling like a bad person.
At the same time, don’t just quietly quit without a bit of internal reflection. Why do you think you’re quietly quitting? Is there something in particular that made you want to step back from your job? What are you doing with your time outside of work? Has quietly quitting added anything to your life, or is it just a reflection of lost passion and deeper mental health struggles?
Finally, don’t forget that you don’t have to quietly quit – you can also loudly quit – also known as actually quitting. There are jobs out there that will allow you to treat work as a facet of your life instead of the center of your life. And if grind culture isn’t the place for you, you can always find somewhere that’s a better fit for the lifestyle you want to have.
