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Quiet quitting doesn't mean actually quitting your job. It just means doing what's required and then getting on with your life - having more work-life balance. Image: Unsplash/Yasmina H

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Quiet quitting is a way of dealing with burnout, an organizational behaviour expert tells GQ magazine. Image: 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer

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Quiet quitting means not taking work too seriously and, post COVID-19, young Gen Z workers are putting it into practice - here's how.

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When employees stop putting forth significant effort toward their jobs and just do the bare minimum of work to get by, they are "quiet quitting" - a term that has gained quite a bit of traction recently.

This trending mindset is now impacting companies throughout the United States, human resources professionals indicated to FOX Business.

"While the idea of employees simply working to meet job requirements certainly isn't new, we're seeing this term coined more now because it's a result of burnout and a re-prioritization of a personal life over work," said Annie Rosencrans, director of people and culture with Hibob, a global HR platform based in New York.
WITH WORKPLACE'S NEW 'QUIET QUITTING' TREND, MANAGERS MUST BE PROACTIVE, ATTENTIVE
That's "something that been sorely missing for many over the past several years," she added.

Here is a deeper look at what is going on today across American businesses.

What's driving the 'quiet quitting' trend?

There are many reasons that quiet quitting may be continuing and even ballooning in the U.S., Rosencrans indicated.

One is that many companies are operating with the same productivity expectations - but leaner teams.

As a result, she said, some employees "don't feel appreciated or appropriately compensated."
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With the "Great Resignation and now waves of layoffs," Rosencrans said, "many open roles weren't filled. Yet that doesn't mean the work disappeared."

She also said, "Instead, the remaining staff have taken on that burden and are losing patience with doing more without the salary to compensate for it."

Some employees may be jumping on the quiet quitting bandwagon because it is trendy and being talked about at the water cooler - and across the media.

"The trend appears to be ballooning due to the power of a provocative term catching attention on social media," said New York City career coach Matt Spielman, author of the new book "Inflection Points: How to Work and Live with Purpose."

"Quiet quitting has always been present in some form."

However, he said, the idea also may be catching on because "remote work environments [are] making it easier [for people] to not go above and beyond."
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Among those staff people who are able to work remotely, it is far easier for them to feel less involved and less connected to a team - and easier for managers to break up with employees and vice versa, he also said.

"There are fewer boundaries of when work starts and when work stops," he said.

"To be clear, however, quiet quitting has always been present in some form."

How is 'quiet quitting' hurting American businesses?

The drop in productivity due to quiet quitting has an impact on American businesses, said Rosencrans of Hibob.

"Written warnings protect the company in case of a dispute if the employee ends up being let go."

Reduced productivity, a negative impact on morale and engagement, and the need for HR teams to become involved - and potentially for additional staff to be hired to fill production gaps - are all unwelcome consequences of today's quiet quitting.

"When workers' individual levels of productivity drop and [it] happens for more than one person, the output of the whole organization suffers," said Rosencrans.
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"That means a potential drop-off in profits, sales or customer satisfaction."

Additionally, the chipping away of a strong work ethic can hurt the morale and engagement of the employees who are continuing to go all out but now have to work with quiet quitters on their teams.

The strong performers who wind up working with employees who are "suddenly putting in less effort" may have to pick up that extra burden.

Additionally, high performers "can end up resenting [their quiet quitter] colleagues - or grow frustrated and look for opportunities elsewhere," she added.

A shift in employee behavior also may require the involvement of human resources teams to determine if replacements or additional team members need to be hired, Rosencrans said.
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This will cost businesses "more time and money due to recruitment efforts, training and additional salaries on their payroll," she also said.

A job description almost never includes the full scope of a position - so managers must communicate what a job entails beyond what's in writing.

This is why it is critical for leaders to understand what motivates their teams, she said - whether that is verbal recognition, stretch projects or extra paid time off.

"Managers who recognize the hard work and effort of their team members and reward them accordingly are more likely to avoid having disengaged employees," Rosencrans noted.

Amid the quiet quitting trend, "for managers to effectively run a business, they need to eradicate the reasons that people are disengaging."

How should management react to 'quiet quitters'?

Managers can usually sense when someone is consciously disengaging, so it's important to talk to individuals when this behavior shows up, according to Rosencrans.

"Don't wait for the staff member to come to you for help," she said. "If it gets to that point, it might already be too late."
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Also, ignoring the issue or reprimanding staff will not be productive, she said - and in the long run, both parties may suffer.

To react positively, Rosencrans recommended being proactive and creating space in one-on-one meetings to understand how team members are feeling.

"Once you understand their pain points, work with them to come up with solutions collaboratively," she said. "Consider making changes to the role to promote more engagement and meaning."

Whether it is offering better work-life balance, access to therapy or career advancement opportunities, there should be a tangible deliverable at the end of the process, according to Rosencrans.

A suggestion from her human resources perspective is to find ways to get the quiet quitters engaged - and tangibly rewarded.

How should HR departments warn 'quiet quitters'?

Human resources teams need to document warnings clearly in terms of the gap in performance between what is expected of an employee and what he or she is actually producing, career coach Spielman of New York City advised.

"People want to work harder when they feel heard, respected and connected."

"This expectation should have been clearly established at the outset of employment and engagement in the job function - and will be indisputable," he said.

Written warnings serve two main purposes.

First, they clarify company expectations so that team members know exactly where they stand, what they need to do to improve and what's at stake if they do not, said Rosencrans.

"Second, written warnings protect the company in case of a dispute, if the employee ends up being let go from the company," Rosencrans added.

The key for HR teams and managers is to be specific by providing clear reasoning and actionable steps for the employee to take.

Managers must set expectations with staff about appropriate work behaviors.

Yet before going down this path, it may be best to reflect on whether this is behavior that the business provoked, said Rosencrans.

"Give employees a chance to share their own perspective on what's causing their disengagement - then follow through with positive action if possible and appropriate," she said.

"Above all, be consistent. Treating people who display similar behaviors differently can lead to litigation."

What steps should bosses take?

To combat quiet quitting, managers must take an individualistic approach and spend time connecting (or reconnecting) with employees, according to Rosencrans.
CAREER CHALLENGE: SHOULD YOU SOCIALIZE WITH YOUR BOSS OUTSIDE THE WORKPLACE?
If they suspect an employee of quiet quitting, they should have an open conversation first, she advised.

"They shouldn't assume the worst, but instead should show compassion and make sure there aren't any personal challenges [the workers are] facing that are impacting their work despite their best efforts," she said.

Employees are getting paid to do the jobs they were hired for - and all workers need to satisfy the requirements of their positions.

Managers must also set expectations with staff about appropriate work behaviors.

Since a job description almost never includes the full scope of a job, managers must communicate what a job entails beyond what is in writing, she said.
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"If that's made clear in one-on-ones and performance reviews, employees can be held to that new standard," she said.

She also said managers should make their best efforts to create a team culture that is positive and fun.

"People want to work harder when they feel heard, respected and connected," she noted.
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"By creating an environment that employees enjoy being part of, they can help support engagement - and thus, productivity."

Still, at the end of a day, employees are getting paid to do the jobs they were hired to do - and all workers need to satisfy the requirements of their positions, jobs experts also indicated.

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How quiet quitters are costing companies money - and harming the morale of existing employees

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When employees stop putting forth significant effort toward their jobs and just do the bare minimum of work to get by, they are "quiet quitting" - a term that has gained quite a bit of traction recently. This trending mindset is now impacting companies throughout the United States, human resources professionals indicated to FOX Business.

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On a recent Monday morning, Gemma, 25, finally decided she needed to overhaul her working life. "I opened my inbox to a load of negative emails from the company's founder," explains the London-based PR worker. "I was then expected to deliver big results on a tight deadline. I'd just had enough."

However, Gemma, whose full name is being withheld over career concerns, didn't resign. Instead, she chose to remain in her current role; she performs her tasks, but has stopped going the extra mile. "I think it's quite clear my spark has gone, and I just get by doing the minimum," she says. "I used to be online hours before I started work; now, I don't log on until after 0900. I used to work so late that I didn't have time for myself; now, I close all work apps at 1800 on the dot."

Gemma has 'quiet quit' her job, a move linked to a trend that first went viral on TikTok. The phrase was popularised by user @zkchillin in a July 2022 video that now has 3.5 million views, spawning an online phenomenon. "You're not outright quitting your job, but you're quitting the idea of going above and beyond," he explained. "You're still performing your duties, but you're no longer subscribing to the hustle-culture mentality that work has to be your life; the reality is it's not, and your worth as a person is not defined by your labour."

To Gemma, quiet quitting has captured the zeitgeist: employees feel overworked and underpaid in the wake of the pandemic and amid the rising cost of living. "I think a lot of people are fed up," she says. "They're realising they've put in a lot more effort than their salary shows: no one should be driving themselves to burnout for a wage that causes personal stress or worry."

Quiet quitting has generated intense media attention, with mass coverage exploring the workplace trend. In many ways, it isn't a new phenomenon: coasting, clocking in-and-out while getting the bare minimum done, has long been a facet of the workplace. For various reasons, discontented workers have always found ways to disengage from their job and still collect the pay cheque.

But the buzz surrounding the newly coined concept of quiet quitting seems to have particularly struck a chord now. Why exactly is that - and what does its popularisation say about our broader cultural attitudes towards work and our careers in the longer term?

Discontented workers have always found ways to disengage from their job and still collect the pay cheque (Credit: Getty Images)

A decades-long phenomenon
The term may be new, but the idea behind quiet quitting has long existed, says Anthony Klotz, associate professor at University of College London's School of Management. "Although this has come from a younger generation and in new packaging, this trend has been studied under different names for decades: disengagement, neglect, withdrawal."

Workers have always looked to just get by in a job for various reasons, he continues. "There are many people not in a position to leave their role: they may have non-transferable skills, accrued flexibility and benefits they can't have elsewhere or live in a small community with a dearth of other opportunities." He adds that the economy can also play a role in keeping unhappy workers in their jobs. "Slowdowns increase the risk and cost associated with quitting, because of the weaker job market."

In these cases, coasting can make sense for workers who feel they can't progress, or no longer prioritise their career. "Always going above and beyond the call of duty consumes mental resources and causes stress," says Klotz. "And there's little reward for doing so if someone perceives they're stuck at a company. So, quiet quitting doesn't just speak to younger generations - it's anyone who has ever felt stuck in a job but has little reason to resign."

However, unlike coasting, an employee who quiet quits may not necessarily slack every day at work. Instead, Klotz says workers tend to strip back the above-and-beyond aspect of a job to its core nine-to-five. "Arriving early to work and staying late, helping a colleague out at the expense of your own tasks, showing as much dedication to your role as possible - these are extra behaviours that go the extra mile for an organisation, but can take a personal toll."
Why 'quiet quitting' is booming
Klotz believes that the idea of quiet quitting is particularly resonating at the moment because of the pandemic, and the increased conversations around mental health.

In many instances, says Klotz, employees are taking action to stave off burnout. "Quiet quitting is effectively redrawing boundaries back to the job description so that people aren't thinking about work 24/7. Instead, they're dedicating time and energy to other elements of their lives that are more meaningful, leading to improved wellbeing."

Working through the pandemic may also have caused a spike in employee disengagement, fuelling the quiet-quitting phenomenon. Jim Harter, chief scientist for workplace management and wellbeing at analytics firm Gallup, based in Nebraska, US, believes the trend is largely being driven by early-career employees. "Younger workers typically tend to report higher levels of engagement, but that's now declining," he explains. "Following Covid-19, they may now have a higher bar than older generations when it comes to working for an organisation with purpose."

There is also the sense of a deepening disconnect between employees and managers, says Harter. He cites June 2022 Gallup figures that show only 21% of 15,001 US workers feel their organisation cares for their overall wellbeing - as opposed to half of employees during the peak of the pandemic. This sentiment may have become even more acute as real wages tumble in the face of soaring inflation. "We're seeing a cultural rift that's pulling workers away from their employers," he adds.

In Gemma's case, her quiet quitting arose from underlying issues with her employer and feeling her job performance was consistently overlooked. "I've been unhappy for a while," she explains. "The work culture at my place is so poor and toxic. Although I was always working harder and longer than my peers, my pay has never reflected that."

Rather than force her way out from the company and potentially find herself in another job she doesn't enjoy, Gemma is content to pause for the time being. "I think it would take a lot for me to make a drastic move," she adds.
The broader implications
While pulling back at work is not a new concept, Klotz believes the current quiet-quitting phenomenon taps into a wider shift in how employees are approaching their careers following the pandemic. Rather than a rebellion against work in itself, it's a rejection of long workdays, unpaid overtime and always-on presenteeism in service of an organisation.

Instead, many employees are seeking to redefine the lines between their working and personal lives to benefit themselves. "We're seeing a moment of reprioritisation with quiet quitting: the shrinking of work in people's lives to make room for family, friends and hobbies," says Klotz. "People want a career, but they want rich, healthy lives outside of work, too."

For Gemma, quiet quitting has meant she's been able to psychologically recover from a high-pressure job, deepen her passions and develop a side gig: after learning to crochet in recent months, she now sells her designs online. She's content to make this her main focus for the foreseeable future. "I used to worry that I'd get in trouble or that my colleagues would hate me if I didn't go above and beyond," she explains. "Now, I'm spending time developing side hustles that are much more rewarding than my nine-to-six job. I feel much less stressed and anxious about work."

The massive reaction to quiet quitting speaks to a broader, pandemic-fuelled trend: employees in many cases are reassessing what work means to them, and how much space it should occupy in their lives. "I really believe we need to get past the concept of always being 'on'," says Gemma. "There's more to life than achieving a KPI."

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On a recent Monday morning, Gemma, 25, finally decided she needed to overhaul her working life. "I opened my inbox to a load of negative emails from the company's founder," explains the London-based PR worker. "I was then expected to deliver big results on a tight deadline. I'd just had enough."