There’s a new workplace buzzword in town, but what does it mean and could it prevent burnout?
Scrolling through TikTok recently, I noticed a phrase that made my ears prick up, ‘quiet quitting’. When I did some further digging, I found myself down a rabbit hole of various takes, interpretations and ‘solutions’ (for both employers and employees).
So what is it? While that may well depend on your interpretation, after reading countless articles and LinkedIn posts, I see it as a rejection of the hustle mentality. Recognising your worth outside of work and pulling back on the energy you dedicate to it.
This means not working hideous hours for minimal pay, not stressing over inconsequential (in the grand scheme of things) decisions and not giving everything you have to go above and beyond for work. Instead, it’s about turning up, doing your job to the best of your ability… and that’s it. Some call this ‘working wage appropriate’, which shouldn’t be that radical, should it?
I think the reason my ears pricked up at the term was because I feel like I’ve done this. Twice, actually. Once about five years ago when I decided to step down from a management position and reduce my working hours. This was initially so I could dedicate more time to a side business, but it was also to lower stress levels as I was dealing with some intense work-related anxiety at the time.
I remember saying to myself ‘I can’t give 100% to this job, because I have other important areas of my life’. I needed to pull back, both mentally and physically, and stepping down from a management position allowed me to do that.
More recently I’ve, perhaps not so quietly, quit the aforementioned side business and hope to return to full-time employment. There are many reasons for this but a big one is, again, to regain some energy and a better work-life balance.
Both of these were different moves (that some may consider ‘stepping back’ in my career), but both had the same, positive outcome. Me prioritising my health and joy over work. And this is coming from someone who is passionate about her work and actually enjoys her job. So… yes, I’m pleased more people are coming around.
Speaking to life and career coach Gaby Grzywacz, it seems I’m not alone in my feelings towards this.
“If we understand quiet quitting as ‘just’ doing your job (which, I think, is all we should ever be asked to do by our employers!), then I feel very positive about it!” Gaby says.
We’ve finally reached the point where younger employees come into companies and say ‘we don’t want to sacrifice everything for you, we’re here to do the job’
“We’ve finally reached the point where younger employees come into companies and say ‘we don’t want to sacrifice everything for you, we’re here to do the job’. This is a very positive move towards improving employee wellbeing, reducing rates of burnout and, in my view, potentially increasing productivity.
“I strongly believe that an overworked employee is less likely to do their best work, while someone who leaves their work at work, and physically steps away from the work on time to relax, can rock it out of the park.”
Let’s be honest, the phrase ‘quiet quitting’ is misleading, because for most of us it isn’t about checking out and doing the ‘bare minimum’