What happens when expectations aren't fulfilled, boundaries are crossed, extra work becomes too much to carry, and there's no actual benefit to the extra work we do? Here's a breakdown of what quiet quitting is and how it affects the workforce or society in general.
Zhaid Khan's popular tiktok film sparked the "quiet quitting" discussion. In the words of the 24-year-old software engineer and musician:
"You're still performing your duties, but you're no longer subscribing to the hustle culture mentality that work has to be your life."
Quiet quitting basically indicates you're done going above and beyond at work and have settled for performing the bare minimum till you ultimately decide to resign and seek other promising opportunities elsewhere.
The hashtag "quiet quitting" has received over 17 million views on the platform. The trend was then publicized in the news and propagated on other social media platforms, such as LinkedIn and Twitter. Furthermore, since it went viral, an increasing number of young professionals have aired their thoughts and views on the subject. Whether they agreed with the trend or disagreed, they gave their respective viewpoints to further discuss this phenomenon that broke the internet.
But is quiet quitting really a new trend, or has it been practiced for a long time and people have only recently paid attention to it?
It is safe to say that the pandemic gave people the chance to pause and contemplate their current standpoint in their respective careers or in their lives in general. Even those with highly hectic schedules were forced to pause and were finally given the opportunity to reassess all aspects of their lives.
And because they were brought to a standstill, they realized that there is more to life than being hooked up to their desks and tapping away on their computers—that even ordinary people can pursue greater things in life, and in order to do so, they must evaluate their current circumstances to determine if there is any spring cleaning that needs to be done in order to move forward.
What are the signs of Quiet Quitting?
As previously said, one key sign that someone is in their quiet quitting phase is a lack of motivation or even energy to go above and beyond at work. They usually settle for accomplishing the bare minimum. They would also frequently avoid interactions with other employees to avoid conversations that were unrelated to their job. Furthermore, they rarely contribute thoughts or recommendations during meetings anymore.
Why are people going against hustle culture?
If you're familiar with internet jargon, you've definitely heard the expression "rise and grind." "Hustle culture," like workaholism, focuses on a work atmosphere where constant movement and rapid advancement at the expense of one's well-being are recognized and highly rewarded. On the other hand, working long hours to the point of jeopardizing their well-being is everything but admirable.
After years of surrendering to this mentality, professionals, particularly those in the younger generation, have begun to fight against the hustle culture. The issue with hustle culture is that it fosters a stern and stone-cold attitude toward employees in order to get work done. Overworking causes more harm than good, and it's about time to abandon this mindset.
Not enough pay
As inflation rises, so should the minimum wage for workers in order for them to live comfortably and enjoy the fruits of their labor. With the global pandemic and its long-term impacts, it's only natural that corporations should adapt. However, this is rarely practiced by organizations, which leads to people resigning, causing their attrition rate to worsen.
As a result, people began to recognize that their current income is insufficient, and if their current employer cannot give a greater or, at the very least, reasonable compensation increase or benefits, they will not hesitate to resign in order to pursue other chances, if they haven't already.
Lack of Career Advancement
Lack of career advancement or opportunity is one of the key reasons why many employees resign from their current job. Aside from getting insufficient compensation, they also suffer from burnout from doing the same routine for a very long period of time with no greater opportunities for them in the near future. Especially for young professionals, the majority of them aspire to have a very colorful and eventful career, and one sure way of attaining that is to climb the corporate ladder and then eventually start their own empire.
The possibility of them quitting due to a lack of career development is even more likely to happen when they receive little to no appreciation from their employers.
Alienation from work
People who suffer from work alienation don't feel the need to go the extra mile for their employers anymore. They no longer have the drive or initiative to go above and beyond and would rather do the bare minimum. Highly valued employees or those who genuinely love what they do will fly to the moon and back for the company and, more often than not, exemplify the company's mission and vision, whereas someone suffering from work alienation simply works to be paid. Quitting becomes appealing when people get dissatisfied with their everyday efforts.
As a result, more people suffer from burnout and become involved in the worldwide movement.
Prioritizing their Mental Health and overall well-being
It is unavoidable for people to experience stress when working, but it is completely unacceptable to be stressed to the point where one's mental health and overall well-being are jeopardized. Prioritizing our own well-being was often considered a luxury, but many employees are increasingly pushing back against such mistreatment by their employers.
From aggressive micromanagement to outright manipulation of their workforce in the name of profit, this is one surefire method to push them away and sink your business to the grave.
And it was in the thick of the pandemic, when practically everyone had switched to a work-from-home setup, that they realized this type of mindset should be abolished and revised. Constant monitoring can be stressful, especially if it extends to their homes. And as a result, people are left with no choice but to resign, especially after they have tried to appeal for any semblance of improvement on the management's side multiple times.
You know the expression, "Relationships are two-way streets."
It also applies to business and professional relationships.
Conclusion:
People have had time to reflect on their existing professional trajectories throughout the last two years of the global pandemic. Some recognized their existing working circumstances were no longer worthwhile and opted to resign in order to pursue better opportunities elsewhere, or they would spend their free time recuperating until they decided to try again.
There is nothing wrong with choosing oneself or enforcing strict boundaries to keep toxic corporations at bay, but it is still wise to sit down and consider what one is genuinely feeling and what the best course of action is.
To read more helpful career insights, subscribe to our newsletters and keep your eyes peeled for the next article!
