Quiet Quitting or Quiet Cop-Out?

If you’ve been on Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, or even NPR in the past month, you’ve probably heard the term ‘quiet quitting.’ 

Quiet Quitting is when you stop going above and beyond at work and instead just do your required tasks within designated working hours. Despite the name, the mindset is not necessarily connected to quitting a job outright, but rather doing precisely what the job requires.

We see quiet quitting as a symptom of the toxic stereotype of the American workplace culture — the expectation to be overworked, no safe space to talk about issues, a lack of support, feeling like a cog in a machine, and frankly the political games we’re expected to play.

The good news: it doesn’t have to be this way. Let me explain…

Three ways to approach quiet quitting

Sometimes a job is just a job and that is okay.

If you’re happy with the work-life balance you have set for yourself, don’t worry about it. Not every industry and role is set up to reward you for going above and beyond. If you find yourself thinking, “Yeah, I am doing what the job requires of me and it is working for me.” Then don’t worry about being labeled as a quiet quitter. Just take care of yourself. 

• 7 mindfulness exercises to reduce stress at a tech job

• Optimizing strengths for better work performance & work-life fulfillment

Communicate your needs.

If you know there is something missing that your employer can do for you, talk to your manager. Perhaps the issue is in the set expectations. 

Are you expected to go above and beyond? Does your manager want you to take more time off? Get aligned on those expectations first, and then you can make a better decision about your work. If you can find ways to make your experience better, that’s great. And if not, well then maybe it’s time to actually quit.

• How to Ask for a Promotion: A Step-By-Step Guide (Coursera)

• 8 Steps To Take When Your Job Is Not What You Expected (Indeed)

• How To Talk To Your Boss About Burnout (Forbes)

• 8 Ways to Establish Healthy Boundaries at Work (Career Contessa)

Healthy cultures do exist.

If you are quiet quitting to treat burnout, take a moment to consider whether you just need a different job. One with advancement, flexibility, trust, summer Fridays, mental health days, or whatever you’re craving. They exist out there. It’s time to get back in the driver's seat of your own career. Stop sitting in the back watching the weeks tick by in a career you’re not happy in. Grab the wheel and find a job that aligns with your values and purpose. We work with so many purpose-driven companies that value their employees and are building people-first cultures. 

Btw, it’s free to set up a profile and explore their open jobs, but here, we’ll help you get started:

• 9 Purpose-Driven Tech Companies That Give Back to the Community

• 6 Tech Companies with Summer Fridays and Other Summer Benefits

• 24 Best Companies for Work-Life Balance Jobs

• 9 Companies with Great Paid Parental Leave Benefits

• Great Companies for Diversity and Inclusion 2022

• Questions to Ask in an Interview to Discover Company Culture

• Quitting Your Job: The Complete Guide
  
  

A Message to Managers

If your employees are quiet quitting and you want to do something before they actually quit, ask yourself a few of these questions: 

• Does your team or company have an engaging culture? 

• Do you regularly show appreciation? 

• Do you have advancement opportunities? 

• Do you have competitive benefits? 

• Are your employees quiet quitting or have you ‘quiet fired’ them? Have you been ignoring their needs or given up on someone you no longer want to deal with?
  
  

Here are some resources for developing a purpose-driven culture and retaining talent. 

• Employee Engagement Tips for Retaining Great Talent

• How to Show Appreciation for Remote Employees

• 7 Ways to Hire and Retain Talent in Uncertain Times

• Workplace Wellness: Why Mental Health is a Top Employee Benefit

• Why most 'culture work' actually hurts your company

• Benefits 101: Everything You Need to Know About Startup Benefits
  

Your career is yours. No one else’s. Don’t quiet quit and expect that something monumental will change for the better. Be intentional about your career — find a company and job that’s right for you with a culture that aligns with your values and your purpose. 

It’s time to quit that job for real.