When you hear the term quiet quitting, the first thing that probably comes to mind is quitting your job. However, that is not true. If you have been following the workplace trend of quiet quitting on Twitter or TikTok, you will know what I am talking about. On the other hand, if you don’t know, quiet quitting is all about not doing tasks that go beyond your job description.
Quiet quitting vs being extra in the workplace
I remember when I got my first job in a law firm. I was so excited, and it showed. Trust and believe that I went above and beyond my job description. Anything I was asked to do, I did, no questions asked. It ranged from picking up laundry to taking my boss’s kids to the hospital. Looking back, I realize how cringy and embarrassing my actions were. If I ever got a second chance, I would focus more on only performing the tasks in my job description.
The term quiet quitting has gained a lot of attention in the workplace while also trending on social media. But what does it mean? Is refusing to go above and beyond a form of laziness? Do you deserve to be paid less even though your actual tasks are completed on time? Well, the answer to all these questions is a hard NO!
How did the quiet quitting workplace trend get so much attention?
Quiet quitting is about only sticking to your job demands - showing up for work and strictly working within the boundaries of your job description. No more working at home after hours or carrying out additional tasks that someone else needs to do. We have to thank @zaidlepplin for creating awareness of how your work is not your life through his viral TikTok video.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, most workplaces were not prepared for its effects on the workplace. Most businesses closed down, downsized, and some had to let their employees work from home. As a result, businesses pushed additional responsibilities onto their employees, which did not come with any pay rise or additional benefits. Most workers only got a pat on the back for going above and beyond their job description.
Employees were frustrated, overworked, and underpaid. As they began to share their experiences on TikTok and Twitter, employees coined the workplace trend phrase, "quiet quitting".
Why should employers be worried about the quiet quitting workplace trend?
As an employer, you are responsible for the smooth workflow in the office. Therefore, don’t ignore your employees when they feel frustrated and disengaged at the workplace. Below are some of the effects of quiet quitting on employers.
Employees become emotionally disengaged from the workplace
The truth is that quiet quitting is very personal. It looks different for everyone because it can go beyond simply creating a boundary and striking a work-life balance. So, what exactly is the difference?
When an employee decides to quiet-quit, they tend to detach emotionally from work. Employees spend a large chunk of the day at the office. Therefore, when employees get disengaged, they become easily frustrated, experience burnout, and stop working at their optimum levels. For lack of a better term, one rotten apple spoils the rest. This means that a disgruntled and burned-out employee will affect the effectiveness of the whole team.
Conflicts between employees may increase
Get ready for more employee conflicts. If an employee stops going above and beyond like they used to, other employees will feel like this person is not carrying their weight. As an employee when you take on more responsibilities at work, you will create an expectation that you can go above and beyond. Later on, when you decide to quiet-quit, you will have already set an expectation in the workplace that you are okay with going above and beyond at work. Therefore, when you start turning down the work that you took on before, your co-workers will think that you have started slacking on the job. This will bring about office conflict among the employees, which will reduce productivity in the workplace.
There might be an increase in the underdevelopment of skills in the office
Does your company promote employee skill development? Well, say goodbye to this program. When the quiet quitting workplace trend hits your office, more employees will feel like advancing their skills is going to make them take on more work that they will not be paid for. Furthermore, once an employee emotionally disengages from the workplace, we can bet that all they want to do is leave when it's time to go home. Taking up development courses that are paid for by the company will make the employee feel like they owe the office extra work hours, so they will simply not do it.
Expect a drop in productivity levels at the office
All it takes is one quiet quitter to open the eyes of the rest of the employees in the office. With all the negative traits attached to the quiet quitting workplace trend, you risk having a demotivated team that lacks the motivation to work. Productivity levels at the office are swirling down since the quiet quitting trend hit the social media airwaves. Big companies like Google are signalling that they might lay off staff soon due to productivity concerns.
Why quiet quitting may work
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Employees will get enough time to pursue their passion projects. Quiet quitting opens up their schedule outside work hours for them to work on their skills, talents, and any other passion projects.
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The quiet quitting season gives employees the chance to recover from their burnout. They get the chance to unwind outside work hours and prepare mentally, physically, and psychologically from the daily stresses of the workplace.
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It helps employees step away from the overbearing and uncomfortable “Yes man” mentality and shifts their mindset to their happiness and success.
Conclusion
As much as the quiet quitting workplace trend is good for mental health and personal development, the trending videos on social media do not reflect the right mentality for employee performance. When you go through the comments on viral quiet quitting videos on social media, you will get a sense of what I am talking about. Quiet quitting doesn’t have to have negative traits attached to it. Why don’t you focus on maximizing the hours you spend at the office? There's nothing wrong with sticking to your job description and excelling at it. This is what the quiet quitting workplace trend is about after all.