Physically, you are sitting at your desk working on the bi-monthly report and liaising with your manager via Slack. But that’s not where you are mentally. Mentally, you are sitting on a remote beach in Barbados, sipping a piña colada and reading your favourite page-turner.
If this scenario sounds familiar, you might be quiet quitting your job. And, you’re not alone. Nearly 60% of employees around the world are guilty of this workplace sin, according to the State of the Global Workplace: 2023 Report. So, what is it all about and why is it happening?
In this blog post, we take a look at the modern-day phenomenon that is quiet quitting. We will be touching on the following topics:
- What the term “quiet quitting” means
- Why professionals all around the world are doing it
- What to do rather than quiet quitting your job
What is quiet quitting?
Quiet quitting is when you mentally disengage from work. While you may still be turning up—or, more likely, logging on—each day, you are not fully present. Chances are, you are doing the bare minimum to make sure that you don’t get fired. When people quiet quit their jobs, they start to disassociate from both the work and the people with whom they work.
The real reasons people are quiet quitting
Quiet quitting is a type of protest—loud and clear. When you choose to all but stop doing your job without actually leaving, you are sending a message. That is that you are unfulfilled, unsatisfied, and unhappy with aspects of your role or the company at large.
But it runs deeper than that. The State of the Global Workplace: 2023 Report revealed that there are three main reasons employees are choosing to quiet quit, as follows:
- Engagement or culture. 41 percent of professionals pointed to “engagement and culture” as a factor in their quiet quitting move. That is to say that these individuals felt disengaged from their work or don’t gel with the culture of the workplace.
- Pay and benefits. Of course, pay is always going to be a major sticking point for people. So, it’s no surprise that 28 percent of workers said that both pay and additional benefits were the cause of their quiet quitting.
- Wellbeing. Your workload and your wellbeing go hand-in-hand. 16 percent of people said that their wellbeing was one of the reasons that they had turned to quiet quitting. That may mean that their job is causing them stress or that they are burned out.
What to do instead of quiet quitting
Quiet quitting your job is one way to go. You can slink into the background of the workforce and hide out there. However, it’s hardly going to help your career and, luckily, you do have other options. Here are some tips you can try:
- Speak to your manager. Whether you’re frustrated with your pay, the environment, or your wellbeing is suffering, it’s time to speak up. Talk to your manager about what is going on and the changes that would make you more fulfilled at work.
- Look for a new challenge. Have you outgrown this job? If you’re struggling to engage with your work, that could be a sign that it’s time to jump shop. Get your resume up to scratch and look for new jobs that suit your long-term goals.
- Find your own meaning. At its core, quiet quitting is about having a lack of meaning. If your work isn’t giving you what you need, dig a little deeper. Find your community at the company, start a new project, or look for areas of growth.
Key takeaways
- Quiet quitting is sweeping the globe and further afield with the majority of professionals mentally detaching from their jobs.
- The reasons people are quiet quitting include engagement and culture, pay and benefits, and their wellbeing.
- If you are not happy in your current role, look for ways to improve it or move on.
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