After two years of the pandemic, the workplace culture has undergone significant shifts and trends, such as great resignation, quiet quitting, and now; quiet firing.

Quiet quitting differs from forthright resignation and follows a different pattern than Great Resignation. Its underlying elements are evident - quiet quitters prefer to complete their responsibilities on time but with a less psychological commitment to the job and project. 

Quiet quitting encompasses traits such as becoming less ready to participate in initiatives, no longer remaining late, arriving early, and attending every meeting whether it is mandatory or not. 

Quiet quitting - Is this an issue? 

Quiet quitting does not appear to be an issue at first glimpse. Employees are working, presenting their job on time, and exiting the workplace on time. So, what may cause problems for businesses?

The problem is a lack of willingness to go above and beyond Call of Duty. Organisations gain a vital competitive edge when a workforce goes above and beyond their obligations. 

The fact is that most companies do not follow a 9-to-5 timetable. Time does not matter to them; results do.

Another problem among corporate executives is that organisations believe that losing individuals who want to go is acceptable; those who are not quitting on their own and exhibit Quiet Quitting behaviours increase the pressure on their colleagues.

According to Gallup's most recent State of the Global Workplace study for 2022, just 21% of employees are engaged at work, while 33% are thriving in their overall well-being. Furthermore, 44% of employees reported feeling stressed throughout the workday.

Reasons behind quiet quitting

The pandemic has altered the workplaces and brought a lot of changes like remote, hybrid and WFH work modules. The remote work module has added more fuel to the quiet quitting trend. With remote work, employees reimagined their world with Fridays off, digital meetings, no commuting, and flexible work hours. 

Now, companies are asking their employees to return to their offices, employees feel their convenience and ease of working are not balanced enough with the workplace demands. Going above and beyond the duty costs an employee’s time and effort. 

The quiet quitting trend suggests — employers are asking their employees for additional work without providing them with mental well-being, social capital, and career success. 

As per a study by McKinsey survey, 4 out of 10 workers showed results of burnout and stress. 

Quiet quitting- different age groups, different reactions 

In the disruptive business world, different age groups; Boomer, Gen-X, millennial, and Gen-Z are reacting differently to the quiet quitting trend. The Boomer and Gen-X generations believe in ‘Grind & Rise’ whereas millennials and Gen-Z look for more work-life balance. 

According to Employment Hero's 2022 Wellness at Work research, 53% of employees report feeling burnt out at work, and 52% evaluate their work-life balance as unsatisfactory.

Dissatisfaction is prevalent across the workforce, and younger employees are more likely to be quiet quitters. 

According to a poll conducted by ResumeBuilder.com, 25% of employees across all age categories stated they perform the bare minimum at work, but this figure rises to 30% among millennials.

Quiet quitting - a challenge for businesses

Disengaged and unsatisfied employees have cost the global economy $7.8 trillion due to low productivity, as per Gallup’s 2022 State of Global Workplace report. 

Employers are concerned about labour productivity in the current tumultuous economic scenario throughout the world. Businesses must use innovative business strategies to reduce workplace discontent and disengagement.

Incepting a solution 

Businesses are responding to the quiet quitting trend by instituting new workplace regulations to decrease stress and burnout while promoting flexible working modules.

It is now that leaders must listen to their employees. Leaders may maintain the benefits of workplace involvement without subjecting their people to an unsustainable "hustle" mindset.

Leaders and managers are the ideal persons to assist employees in achieving success, finding balance, and receiving assistance. Managers can instil a strong sense of inclusion, belonging, and fulfilment in their employees.

Businesses must encourage their executives, CHROs, and managers to convey business values and employee advancement goals with compassion, honesty, and transparency.

These steps will encourage employees to become more involved with their companies. 

Quiet quitting may become a short-term online phenomenon, but it does not obscure the real challenges that employees experience. To foster a better employer-employee relationship, all sides should reconsider the work culture and commit to fixing it.