By Joelly Lucien
By now you’ve heard the buzz term. But what is ‘quiet quitting’ and why is everyone talking about it?
Popularized on TikTok by Gen Z, ‘quiet quitting’ is the idea that employees are opting to do just enough to meet their job requirements. As reported by Entrepreneur, the pandemic has shifted people’s relationships with work, especially its youngest members, who have contributed to backlashes against “hustle culture” and movements like the Great Resignation.
Linkedin Learning Instructor, Selena Rezvani, shared, “This “trend” is not about doing the bare minimum – it’s about creating more of an equitable employer/employee contract, where duties are clear (not implied or opaque) and performed in exchange for matching pay.
According to Gallup, the number of actively disengaged workers — people who are psychologically detached from their job — has risen steadily since the second half of 2021. ‘Quiet quitters’ now make up 50% of the U.S. workforce.
So is ‘quiet quitting’ simply a rejection of hustle culture? Or is it a signal of employee burnout?
There’s a lot of debate making the rounds on Linkedin, in HR departments, and among managers about what to do. At the core of this conversation is employee engagement, therefore, leaders should create a culture where factors like belonging and psychological safety are top of mind. This not only helps retain employees but it keeps them motivated and excited about the work they do.