Is Quiet Quitting Here to Stay?

Is Quiet Quitting Here to Stay

Many of us are familiar with several new workforce trends that have received a lot of attention during the pandemic, including The Great Resignation and, most recently, Quiet Quitting.

Quiet Quitting is a trend that began in 2018 and went viral on Tik Tok this year as companies began implementing a return to the office. Millions of people vocalized their resolve for better work-life balance on social media by endorsing and supporting their commitment to :

Not going above and beyond at work
Just meeting their job description
Only doing what they are paid to do

For some, Quiet Quitting means setting boundaries and not taking on more work. Others view it as simply not going above and beyond. But everyone seems to agree that it does not mean leaving your job.

Is Quiet Quitting a Positive Trend?

Quiet Quitting can be seen as a positive trend if it encourages employees to focus on maximizing their hours at the office while maintaining their level of dedication to the job or their employer. Setting boundaries may offer some employees a way to find better harmony between their personal and professional lives and avoid burnout.

Michael Timmes, Senior HR Specialist at Insperity, points out that employees “May be able to think more outside the box, feel more refreshed and become more efficient in the hours they are working. Quiet quitting can be beneficial in terms of providing more time for employees to pursue passion projects.”

But other business leaders such as Kevin O’Leary, an investor, and star of ABC’s Shark Tank, have said that quiet quitting is “A really bad idea because people that go beyond to try to solve problems for the organization, their teams, their managers, their bosses, those are the ones that succeed in life."

Quiet Quitters Make Up at Least 50% of the U.S. Workforce

While it may be too early to tell if Quiet Quitting is here to stay, this month, Gallup’s data showed that “Quiet Quitters” make up at least 50% of the U.S. Workforce, and that number could actually be higher. Since the pandemic began, younger workers, in particular, have indicated a decline in feeling cared about and having opportunities to develop. Gallup’s report, Is Quiet Quitting Real, states that this trend could get worse because most jobs today require some level of extra effort for collaborating with coworkers and meeting customer needs.

To learn more about what engages your employees and upcoming employee engagement trends, click 15 Reasons Employees Stay and Employee Engagement Trends for 2023.