I received a one-line email. It simply said, “Can you address Quiet Quitting?”
Yes. I can also address Loud Quitting, too.
When someone Quiet Quits, they are making a statement.
That statement could be one of many messages, but it’s basically a fancy way of saying “you can take this job and shove it.” I agree, though, that “quiet quitting” is less in your face language.
Quiet Quitting is also an incredibly stressful way to attempt to destress. Let me explain…
What Is Quiet Quitting?
I have seen multiple, competing definitions and descriptions for Quiet Quitting. (This article is one of many.)
Quiet Quitting is a response to the culture of overwork that has become the norm at many companies. Employees who Quiet Quit don’t quit their jobs, but they limit the amount of work they will do to what is outlined in their job description. They limit the time they spend at work to what they are paid for, and reject extra, unpaid labor requests.
It is a new term for an old concept: employee disengagement. (With a side of righteous indignation.)
The intent behind Quiet Quitting is:
- Take care of yourself
- Enforce boundaries
- Create distance between yourself and your job
- Have a life outside of work
- Create realistic expectations
- Do the work you get paid for, not the extra you don’t
- Step away from the hustle and busy cultures
However, the message that is received by others may be quite different.
Quiet Quitting Is Stressful
Quiet Quitting can be incredibly stressful because it is a reactive response to a problem that demands a proactive solution.
If you get to the point where you feel the need to disengage from your job, there are usually deeper problems in the relationship you have with your job, your colleagues, and your boss.
What seems to be missing in all of the articles and social media posts/videos, is professional communication between the Quiet Quitter, their colleagues, and/or their boss. The Quiet Quitter has decided they want a different experience in their workplace and have changed their goals possibly without communicating their intent or their needs. Or, they have communicated their desire for change and their needs are not going to be met.
That is stress point Number 1.
Stress Point Number 2
The next point of stress is the message that those around Quiet Quitters receive. What they often see is:
- Lack of motivation
- Low engagement
- Decreased productivity
- Limited communication
- Withdrawal from the team
- Cynicism and/or apathy toward work
- Colleagues find themselves picking up “the slack” and frustrated
These perceptions create animosity, resentment, and distrust.
While that list above may not be what the Quiet Quitter intended, it is the message that is received without proper communication and exercising caution around changing agreed upon goals.
(There re more stress points, but I will stop at two.)
I Get It…
First, I want to acknowledge that Quiet Quitters may have tried to communicate with their bosses and colleagues, but no positive change came about and their needs aren’t being met. They are frustrated and feel like they have no other choice.
I understand that employees are burned out and exhausted. For years, many employees have been told to “suck it up” and, in many cases, have added heavily to their workloads. Some taking on the work of a missing, unhired employee and others with multiple jobs at once.
Corporate America and many small businesses have adopted unsustainable, toxic cultures that prize productivity and profits over the health of their greatest asset – their employees. Many employees feel like the deck is stacked against them and in many ways it is. But they spend most of their time and energy at work. So, many employees feel as though the company they diligently produce for isn’t reciprocating and honoring their hard work and loyalty.
… And I Don’t
Here is where Quiet Quitters lose me: they aren’t acknowledging the deeper problems they have with their job, company, colleagues, or boss. It’s a reaction that doesn’t really solve anything.
What problems need a solution? It could be any number of things:
- Conflicting values and goals
- Exhaustion
- Poor stress management
- Poor time management
- A job that demands too much time and energy
- Low pay
As a burnout and boundaries coach, what I have found, is that when someone is deeply unhappy and dissatisfied with their job, they look to external factors – like pay or poor management – thinking that if those issues are resolved they will feel better. What they don’t see is that trust has eroded. And, when trust is gone, most of what is left is anger, resentment, and a lot of stress. They are basically in a stressful fight with themselves to avoid the scary, often necessary step of moving on.
Months back I wrote an email and blog post about when it is time to quit a job. One of the issues that cannot be repaired is a lack of trust. It sounds as though, for many Quiet Quitters, that they either lack trust or the trust is gone. While the intent behind their actions is self-care and boundaries, they are also saying they have lost faith in their professional experience. It’s become an untenable situation to sacrifice their personal life to uphold.
I think employees want to work and give 110%. But they have found themselves in situations too often when they are holding the short end of the stick and they no longer trust that employers will provide for them.
Think about it: you get denied a raise or time off, but tomorrow’s headline reads “Record Profits!” How are employees supposed to make that math work in their head?
I also feel like the Quiet Quitter has only had half a reckoning with themselves. They understand that their job isn’t their whole identity and don’t want it to be, that there should be boundaries between work and home, and that their time and energy are precious. It’s just that they haven’t decided who bares the responsibility for making these insights come to life.
Turning to Quiet Quitting Isn’t The Answer
While I agree that employees need to take back control of their time and energy, but Quiet Quitting will not give them this control. The power that every employee has – whether they want to acknowledge it or not – is that they can find another job that meets their needs. They can find an employer that will offer the flexibility, pay, resources, etc. they desire.
Employers that refuse to pay, be flexible, offer a healthy culture – will all be left in the dust because their reputations will prevent them from hiring an effective workforce. Will this happen by next week? No. But we are already seeing the effects of it in businesses across a variety of industries at all levels of skill and tenure. People are leaving or are not taking jobs with companies that don’t treat them well.
Quiet Quitting isn’t about taking back control of your life or your job. It has undertones of anger and resentment that are stressful and unprofessional. Quiet Quitters are playing a game they aren’t likely to win because the emotional energy toll will consume them long before it hurts a company’s bottom line.
How To Move Forward
If you have decided to Quiet Quit, I hope that you are – at the very least – looking for new employment. Really, it’s a red flag that you are waving in your own face.
I also hope that you are thinking about what you need for future career growth and .
Take this work-life harmony momentum and use it proactively, to move you forward. This could mean looking for a different job, investing in your education, work on a healthier professional mindset, develop healthier expectations… there are a lot of options here other than the stillness, stress, and immobility of Quiet Quitting.
