Burnt Out At Work? Here's What ‘Quiet Quitting’ Really Means
No, it doesn’t mean to literally quit — ‘quiet quitting’ has a rather loud message behind the viral trend
Are you feeling burnout after going above and beyond at your job, working through the weekends and taking on work beyond the scope of your field? Well, perhaps ‘quiet quitting’ might work for you.
The phrase has recently gone viral on TikTok, generating millions of views in a flurry of videos explaining the trend. Despite what its name might suggest, quiet quitting has nothing to do with handing in your resignation letter. Instead, it’s about avoiding overextending yourself at work, and instead resetting boundaries between work and your personal life.
“I recently learned about this term called ‘quiet quitting’, where you’re not outright quitting your job, but you’re quitting the idea of going above and beyond,” says Zaiad Khan (@zaidleppelinzk on TikTok), whose viral video on the topic kickstarted the conversations surrounding the term. “You are still performing your duties, but you are no longer subscribing to the hustle culture mentally that work has to be our life.”
Essentially, quiet quitting is the idea of cutting back your energy and effort at work, especially when going above and beyond your JD is the expectation.
You’re doing just enough in the office to keep up, then afterwards clocking out of work on the dot and muting all work messages after business hours. It’s about untangling your identity from your job, leaving you with more time and energy to invest elsewhere.
Khan’s video has since circulated around various social media platforms, and the phrase has now gone mainstream, with many taking for or against stances when it comes to the phenomenon. Some argue that it’s time to stop overworking and reset blurred work boundaries – made worse due to the work from home phenomenon accelerated by the pandemic – whilst others note that the negative connotations of this phrase might lead to workers being labelled as ‘lazy’ or ‘slacking off’.
With so much talk about the new trend, we sat down with Singapore-based millennial career coach Cindi Wirawan to discuss more about the topic. Here, we explore why the term is taking off now, how quiet quitting differs from slacking at the job, and when should one truly quit.
Quiet quitting is linked to a noticeable fall in job satisfaction, says Cindi. “Although it’s not an entirely new concept or behaviour, ‘quiet quitting’ has been made popular recently, especially amongst Gen-Zs and millennials on social media such as TikTok. It’s definitely related to recent work trends on work-life balance and the Great Resignation,” she notes. Earlier this year, the Great Resignation was coined as the moniker for the substantial rate in which employees were quitting their jobs in search for something new, fuelled by the pandemic and a shift in priorities.
According to Cindi, there are both “positive and negative sides to quiet quitting”. “On one hand, it’s about just meeting the required minimum of your job and a rejection of the hustle/work hard culture, especially since it started in China where 996 (working from 9am to 6pm, six days a week!) is common and expected,” she explains. “The positive impact of this could be better well-being, lower burnout rates and a life outside work.”
On the other hand, quiet quitting signals employee disengagement. “Employees are switched off; they’re dragging their feet to work; they are apathetic about work; they don’t put in extra effort. This is related to the Great Resignation, as employee disengagement rates have been going through the roofs since the pandemic started. [Now], instead of actually resigning, many have resorted to quietly quitting instead.”
Thinking of subscribing to the quiet quitting mentality without actually checking out of work completely? There are some guidelines to keep in mind in order to ensure that quiet quitting is constructive and not detrimental for you.
“To quiet quit effectively, make sure that you’re still at the very least meeting expectations of your job so that your job, team, organisation and performance reviews won’t be impacted adversely,” Cindi advises. “Make sure you’ve still set some meaningful personal and professional goals for your current job so that you have something you’re working toward, instead of checking out completely. After all, you want to be fully present and contributing during the 8 hours you’re at work even if you’ve decided to check out on time at 5pm.”
It’s also important to understand your reasons for quiet quitting, she adds. “Do some reflection on why you’re quiet quitting, how it could impact your role and career, and the best boundaries to set to meet your needs.”
If you’re engaging with quiet quitting, it could signal overall job dissatisfaction. Take time to think if you’re simply looking for a temporary solution for burnout, or if you’ve lost interest in your current career role and you’re ready to drop out of the rat race.
“I always tell my clients to explore all possible options within their current role and organisation before quitting,” says Cindi.
She shares some self-reflective questions to ask yourself before handing in your resignation:
1. If you’re unhappy with your job, what are the underlying reasons?
2. If it’s your salary, have you negotiated for a better package?
3. If it’s because you’re not growing, how can you explore new stretch assignments or even new roles within the company?
“A clear sign it’s time to quit is if the job is costing you your health and well-being. In the past three years, I’ve heard so many stories of people getting anxiety attacks due to work, and even know of someone who was hospitalised due to work stress,” Cindi elaborates.
She lists a few other signs that could signal that it’s time to quit: “When you’ve lost your passion or interest for a few months at least; when you’ve been stagnating and there are minimal growth opportunities; you’re underpaid and overworked; you’d like to explore a career switch or role; and you don’t feel like you belong or fit into your current team or organisation.”
If you’re planning to truly quit, she advises one to be prepared. “The best time to quit is once you have an offer or multiple offers. Do make sure you have some savings if you decide to quit without an offer, and that there is demand for your skills and experience.”
Text: CHERYL LAI-LIM/ Her World