But the phrase 'quiet quitting' is a misnomer. It suggests that, if you're not making yourself constantly available to your job, you are lazy and disloyal.
Quiet quitting is performing to the job description and not more. Being lazy is doing the minimum (or less) and mentally checking out completely. With layoffs brewing you may want to check your job search strategy.
Quiet quitting is a term used to describe a workplace behavior in which employees perform just enough work to fulfill their main duties and responsibilities. In other words, they don't demonstrate organizational citizenship behaviors, defined as employees' activities to achieve beyond what's expected.
Pay discrepancies are one of the leading causes of quiet quitting. The issue isn't that employees don't want to do the extra work but don't feel appropriately compensated for their efforts. More than money, the root of the problem is a lack of respect.
For starters, quiet quitting can affect productivity and work culture. Just doing the bare minimum can result in significantly less output and collaboration. When employees reduce their work output, their team will often try to cover them, increasing their workload.
There is a truth behind the idea of “quiet quitting,” but the truth is that employers are quitting on workers. The evidence points in the direction of workers feeling increased pressure and working too much instead of too little. The Economic Policy Institute has argued that “quiet fleecing” would be a better term.
Quiet quitting then, is often used to cope with burnout. It has been defined in a couple of different ways — some describe it as not actively going above and beyond at work, while others see it as doing only the bare minimum to remain employed.
“From an office perspective, quiet quitting can cause conflicts between employees, as some employees will feel others aren't carrying their weight,” he added. “Overall, this can backfire on the employee and can also create a wave of inadequate and underdeveloped employees.”
However, quiet quitting could be a sign that an employee is not happy in their position or is experiencing burnout. Quiet quitting is a way the employee deals with burnout to help alleviate stress. It may also mean they are ready to change positions or may be currently looking for another job.
Quiet quitting is passive-aggressively checking out. Quiet quitters will be the first to be let go when the labor market cools.
Quiet Quitting may be an attempt by workers to regain control of their lives and avoid further stress or anxiety in their job. At its core, quiet quitting can act as a coping mechanism for those feeling overwhelmed and unable to move forward in their current work situation.
Quiet quitting refers to doing the minimum requirements of one's job and putting in no more time, effort, or enthusiasm than absolutely necessary. As such, it is something of a misnomer, since the worker doesn't actually leave their position and continues to collect a salary.
In short, quiet quitting has been popularized recently with employees that are just at a job for the paycheck and aren't really emotionally or intellectually engaged. It's about doing the bare minimum, and not going “above and beyond”.
It describes workers who aren't leaving their jobs but are quitting the notion of going above and beyond for their companies when they are not experiencing the same effort in return. In short, quiet quitting is the natural response to toxic workplaces and low incentives.
Quiet quitting doesn't actually refer to quitting a job—it means completing one's minimum work requirements without going above and beyond or bringing work home after hours. Jeremy Salvucci.
When passionate employees become quiet, according to Tim McClure, it usually sends a signal that the work environment has become very dysfunctional. Suspicion and insecurity clouds the culture and employees retreat into self-protection behavior patterns to protect themselves from the forces within the company.
26% of workers admit they do the bare minimum or less
Twenty-one percent of workers are 'quiet quitting,' choosing to put in only the bare minimum and just doing what they are paid to do.
DON'T MISS: Rage-Applying Is The New Quiet Quitting
And since very few people enjoy Mondays, "Bare Minimum Mondays" is the latest term making the circles among younger workers.
Quiet quitting—and low morale in general—affects recruitment and retention. It also impacts productivity and efficiency on an organizational level. Rather than villainizing quiet quitting, Human Resource teams can use these signals to come up with thoughtful ways to better connect and align with employee needs.
An employee who is only doing the bare minimum doesn't try to make meaningful contributions or help change small things that could make a big difference in the company's success or profitability. An employee who is only doing the bare minimum doesn't contribute to a healthy workplace culture.
In a relationship, the “bare minimum” is one step above absolutely nothing. When someone's just doing the bare minimum, you don't necessarily notice that anything's wrong, but there's not a lot to brag about, either.
You may be dealing with a “bare minimum man.” This is the type of person who isn't exhibiting any outright bad behavior but who also isn't putting in any effort to make you feel loved and cared for.
The second type of mediocre employee is the one who does the bare minimum necessary to keep the job, is disengaged, or may have a bad attitude.
In most situations, it's acceptable to be quiet in the workplace. Some people prefer being quiet at work, and many work teams are stronger when those with different tendencies and strengths work together.