Could employees have finally figured it out and stopped hunting for the dream job… that doesn’t exist? A new trend that emerged on TikTok suggests that many have started to drop out of the performance culture and have decided to simply “do their job”. Explanation.
As of August 28, 2022, the keywords #quietquitting had reached nearly 54 million views. So many videos explaining, defending, challenging or mocking the idea of “quiet quitting”, which has crept into the heads of many workers. What is it about?
Contrary to what the name suggests, quiet resignation does not mean handing in your letter of resignation, explains labor journalist Jo Constantz here. Instead, it’s a stealthy retreat from the hustle culture that dominated the pre-pandemic era of giving it your all in pursuit of your ambitions. Quiet resignation is the new buzzword for doing the minimum required in the job description.”
In an article on Very Well Mind, Paula Allen, senior research director at LifeWorks, tried to identify the symptoms:
- Saying no to a task outside the job description
- Not responding to messages outside of work
- Leaving work on time
- Being less emotionally invested
- No longer striving to accomplish more
- No longer chasing promotions
However, she doesn’t like the phrase:
I’d rather people say it’s a rational life choice than a quiet resignation, she said, this time in an interview with Euronews Next. What’s irrational is burning out at work, but it’s also preventing yourself from being your best. The key is to prioritize, not quit,” she says.
Indeed, some might see this as a very healthy attitude to cultivate toward work. After two and a half years of the pandemic, adapting, moving into the unknown, debating and re-discussing health measures, it will have taken its toll on the morale of workers who, for once, will have chosen to preserve themselves rather than throw themselves on the line for an organization.
Cautionary notes, nonetheless
Some employers are concerned about the popularity of such talk. And they caution employees.
Anyone who tells his or her manager that he or she is a quiet devil has a good chance of not having a job for very long, warns Gergo Vari, head of the employment platform Lensa, here. Any time you self-censor in an organization, you’re robbing yourself of an opportunity to help the organization change.”
In an interview with CNBC, dragon Kevin O’Leary went more bluntly, stating that if you declare yourself a resigner, you are in fact… a loser, no less! “If you’re a quiet resigner, you’re a loser. And you are anti-American.”(1:38)
It should be remembered that empathy has never been the trademark of this outspoken businessman.
