What is Quiet Quitting?
“Quiet Quitting” is the latest buzzword taking social media by storm. The conversation stems from a viral TikTok describing an attitude towards work that pushes back against burnout and hustle culture, one where workers choose not to go “above and beyond” in favor of more healthy boundaries around work-life balance.
The phrase has sparked all sorts of debate and LinkedIn punditry, and it's proven to be a bit of a litmus test towards attitudes around work-life balance. Detractors question the work ethic and view it as coasting while doing the bare minimum, while proponents see it as doing exactly what is described in a job description and nothing more, unless being compensated for it.
“Quiet Quitting” might be a new term, but these conversations have been happening since the pandemic started. They’re indicative of a larger, perhaps generational, shift in values. Whether it’s Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary telling us that quiet quitting is “bad for your career” or Malcolm Gladwell poo-pooing remote work, there are plenty of examples of Wall Street types and “boomers” that seem to be missing the point of the last few years entirely.
Amid the Great Resignation, quiet quitters are setting boundaries for their mental health. Quiet quitting is about protecting against the ever-increasing demands of the modern workforce in a time where the lines between work and life are more blurred than ever.
With Millennials & Gen Z making up the bulk of the work force and remote work now being the norm, it’s clear that employers and human resource departments will need to be cognizant of their employees’ personal lives and well-being if they want to be a great place to work. Workers are literally telling employers what is important to them, whether those employers choose to listen will be up to them.