'Quiet quitting' has recently become a popularised term via TikTok. In spite of this, the idea behind quiet quitting is not necessarily a new one. Often, employees who feel tired, overworked and even burnt-out stop putting in the extra time and effort without ever feeling the need to give it a label. However, through social media, this practice has been given a spotlight. For those who have yet to hear about this trend, this blog post will help explain what 'quiet quitting' is and why it's taking over the internet. We will also be exploring the effects of quiet quitting on organisations as well as steps management can take to prevent this practice from happening within their workplace.

What is quiet quitting?

Quiet quitting refers to the practice of opting out of tasks beyond one's duties and doing the bare minimum of one's job requirements. Post-pandemic, an increasing number of workers have started implementing this practice in their work-life after feeling that the organisation they work for does not recognise their efforts and are not offered suitable compensation for extra hours put in. These employees are still showing up to their workplace and doing their job as stipulated in their job description however, they are staying within the boundaries of their job and "acting their wage" by opting out of doing extra tasks, deciding not to check their emails outside of work hours or procrastinating on helping out their colleagues.

What are the effects of quiet quitting on workplace culture?

Employees who decide to 'quiet quit' are often disillusioned with the workplace, thus they disengage from their work and stop giving their 110%. If this practice is not addressed, it can leave a negative impact on other employees and overall workplace culture. These effects include a decrease in employee morale as well as a decrease in productivity especially since employees who feel disengaged might produce work of lesser quality. A low engagement rate within the workplace often results in a high turnover rate as ultimately, no employee wants to work in a negative environment. This gives rise to a costly issue for an organisation as it is expensive and time-consuming to go through the hiring and training process when hiring new employees.

How can you prevent this practice in the workplace?

Employers and managers can aide in preventing or reducing this practice by taking various steps to promote a healthy workplace management. The first step to prevent quiet quitting is to provide your employees with the best workplace culture and environment; provide your employees with an outlet to air their grievances without the fear of being fired or reprimanded and take note of what they are saying. Listen to their concerns without prejudices or preconceptions and fix the problems they have identified in order to show them that their opinions matter and they are valued and supported as employees.

Implementing a healthy work-life balance for all employees is also crucial to minimising quiet quitting. This is because often, employees who decide to quiet quit feel that they are doing more work than they should without any acknowledgement for it. Decreasing micromanagement, giving employees the opportunity to work from home or even the option to choose their own working hours gives the employee more freedom and a feeling that they are more in control.

Conclusion

Although the practice of 'quiet quitting' is not as recent as it has been made out to be, it is a trend which is on the rise and if one does not pre-empt it and start taking preventive measures, it will become a larger problem for the organisation as the next step after 'quiet quitting' would be for the employees to find a new role elsewhere and officially resign from their current position

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.