Overworked and under-recognized workers are demanding a necessary restructuring of workplace ... [+]
The term “quiet quitting” has been trending on social media. 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 is not a new phenomenon; workers have the right to maintain a healthy work-life balance, leaving work at work and enjoying their time off the clock.
Workers are disappointed by ambiguous expectations of what it means to go above and beyond, low pay, minimal PTO, and a lack of advancement opportunities. They are unwilling to meet undefined standards and take on work their employers are not paying or recognizing them for.
Contributing Factors
Employee Engagement & Monitoring Software
According to Gallup, employee engagement dipped noticeably in the past year. This figure raises some alarms among executives struggling with retention due to the pandemic, mass layoffs and resignations, and looming economic uncertainties.
In response, many companies started tracking keystrokes, monitoring employee time and activities, and micro-managing for perceived lack of commitment. But is this effective?
Recent surveys and dialogue show that many professionals perceive this as insulting and invasive and dramatically diminishes employee trust. In short, this is often making the issue worse for companies. Widespread use or not, employees surveyed would rather work for companies that do not micromanage their behavior.
When requirements are high, and workers are monitored more heavily than ever while onsite, stress levels skyrocket.
The World Health Organization has encouraged employers to help create structure and to support health and wellness accommodations for remote workers without making them feel as though they are under surveillance.
Once again, aligning compensation, benefits, culture, and expectations with stakeholder value instead of short-term gains can protect both employee health and morale, increasing retention and employee satisfaction.
A History of Broken Promises and Devaluation of Well-Being
Overworked and under-recognized workers are demanding a necessary restructuring of workplace expectations. Many feel disillusioned by a system that once rewarded workers for going the extra mile and now requires extra effort without appropriate expectations or rewards.
There’s a power imbalance in the workplace. In response, professionals opt not to go above and beyond without incentive or reward. The phrase “quiet quitting” places the onus on the worker.
It implies that workers refuse to provide more labor than reflected in their job descriptions or paychecks, branding them as entitled or having a poor work ethic. In reality, the issue is often with leadership or the structure and priorities of the organization.
To mitigate the issue, leaders and managers need to investigate the true force behind quiet quitting: unfair labor practices, unmet needs, and power imbalances within the workplace. Placing the blame on workers for not providing unpaid or unappreciated work is inaccurate and doesn’t fix the problem.
Employees Notice Quiet Firing
If executives aren’t humanizing their workers, first and foremost, they are setting their business ventures up for failure. They also fight against their interests with “quiet firing,” a phrase that has cropped up in response to quiet quitting.
Quiet firing is also called “constructive dismissal,” which, like quiet quitting, is not a new phenomenon. To avoid direct layoffs or confrontation, as well as any additional unwanted unemployment claims, employers may intentionally manufacture difficult situations for employees they want gone.
This can look like many things, including but not limited to:
- Neglecting to offer raises for years
- Providing workers with mundane busy work
- Placing them in challenging situations in which the employee can’t succeed
Many of these employees will quit on their own, as intended.
But it’s not just minor employees experiencing quiet firing. Upper-level managers are also subject to this process. It’s often seen when their role dramatically shifts from someone who manages people to suddenly being a participating contributor to someone else’s project.
Regardless, these labor practices culminate in toxic workplaces—hotbeds for high turnover, whether that means quiet quitting or actual resignations.
Preventing and Recovering Quiet Quitters
Re-Engage the Quiet Quitter and Keep Leaders Accountable
Quiet quitters are not beyond re-engagement. They are showing a natural response to toxic workplaces or feeling devalued. Rather than becoming frustrated with employees capable of high performance but only doing what’s required, leaders must understand that these workers are simply protecting their energy due to unmet needs.
Some questions leaders concerned with quiet quitting can ask themselves are:
- Who are your quiet quitters?
- Are there harmful power imbalances at play?
- How are they being recognized and compensated?
- Are they provided with challenges and opportunities for innovation and growth?
Businesses can prevent and address widespread quiet quitting by valuing workers.
- Make sure compensation packages reflect actual expectations of labor.
- Inspire effective time management in workers by ensuring that your managers are modeling efficiency.
- Encourage workers to clock out when it’s time to clock out, knowing that when their time is respected, they feel more positive and passionate about the work they produce.
- Provide accessible opportunities for advancement and career development.
It may be time for managers dealing with quiet quitters to have a one-on-one or group dialogue about what’s happening. Sometimes transparent leadership means acknowledging issues in management. Demonstrate what you've wanted to see in them: the motivation to go above and beyond for your team.
