'You’re not outright quitting your job but you’re quitting the idea of going above and beyond. You’re still performing your duties but you’re no longer subscribing to the hustle culture mentality where work has to be your life.' – Zaid Khan

The phrase ‘quiet quitting’ has taken social media by storm. Whilst definitions vary, it’s largely agreed that employees who are ‘quiet quitting’ are technically still fulfilling their job duties – they’re simply not going ‘above and beyond’. This might translate to employees not working overtime, sticking to tasks that are strictly within their job description or not responding to messages outside of their contracted hours. Interestingly, these are all behaviours many would cite as key indicators of a healthy work–life balance, and yet the phrase ‘quiet quitting’ seems to come with overwhelmingly negative connotations. So what’s going on?

In order to understand the sudden interest in (and apparent prevalence of) quiet quitting, it’s important to look at the surrounding context. This conceptual storm is happening off the back of a number of shifts that are all coming into play in parallel:

  1. We have reached an unprecedented level of burnout. Both leaders and employees are feeling the strain of the last few years – the challenges of the pandemic, the sudden and unpredictable shifts in ways of working, the cost of living crisis and the immense uncertainty surrounding the future. An increase in remote and hybrid working has also blurred the boundaries between work and personal for many, making it harder to achieve a healthy day-to-day balance.
  2. Covid-19 and ‘The Great Resignation’ have prompted many workers to rethink their priorities. Lack of advancement opportunities, low pay and feeling disrespected were the top reasons Americans quit their jobs in 2021, and there were a lot of them – an average of nearly 4 million employees in the USA left their job each month in 2021. As a result, many who are joining new companies are doing so with a different list of priorities – and less patience for organisations who can’t meet their needs.
  3. Multigenerational workforces are now the norm, bringing new conversations, viewpoints and challenges. Whilst research points to a number of shared beliefs across generations, we are also seeing differences in expectations and behaviours. For example, purpose is gathering more and more traction, in part due to pressure applied by the younger generations – nearly half of Gen Zs and Millennials in senior positions report having turned down jobs that didn’t align with their personal ethics/values.

Michelle Hay, global chief people officer at Sedgwick, argues that quiet quitting is about ‘more than just setting boundaries… It speaks to the tired and frustrated feeling that many are experiencing on the tail end of the pandemic. People are reassessing their priorities, and social disconnection can be part of this shift.’

In many ways, it could therefore be argued that ‘quiet quitting’ is just a variation of an old concept – ‘employee disengagement’ – with some cases simply more obvious than others. But this doesn’t answer the bigger question: what (if anything) should be done about it?

Regardless of how ‘problematic’ organisations deem quiet quitting to be, it is vital that leaders acknowledge the importance of work–life balance. Years of ‘hustle culture’ mentality has led to many people believing that having a job requires doing far more than what they’re paid to do, often to the detriment of their personal lives, wellbeing and – ironically – performance.

The scientific literature consistently outlines associations between the happiness of an employee, their motivation towards their work and their productivity in the workplace (Joo and Lee, 2017; Abualoush et al., 2017; Obeidat et al., 2018). A series of research also highlights the immense impact that a work–life imbalance can have over time on both physical and psychological health (Deligkaris et al., 2010; Diestel et al., 2013). The literature suggests that workplace stressors and accompanying work–life imbalances tend to trigger a cascade of adverse neurochemical changes, which impact the brain regions critically involved in higher cognitive functioning (such as the pre-frontal cortex and hippocampus; Lupien and Lepage, 2001; McEwan, 1998; McEwan, 2005). This means that if we don’t have time to recharge and feed our social requirements, negative outcomes are likely to ensue. However, if we do allow time to reset and recharge, our brains will adapt in a neuroplastic process, enhancing our cognition and our ability to perform at our best.

These relationships with work–life balance go beyond individualistic benefits or drawbacks; research shows that there are clear organisational implications too. Kerdpitak and Jermsittiparsert (2020) found that work–life imbalance in conjunction with workplace stress significantly affects the employee’s intention to leave. Long-term imbalances have also been shown to negatively associate with job satisfaction (Gragnano, Simbula, & Miglioretti, 2020) and correlate with negative health consequences (Mensah & Adjei, 2020).

To better understand how employees are feeling, Michelle Hay suggests organisations should ‘frequently’ survey staff, going beyond productivity scores and seeking comments that help managers understand ‘the full picture of engagement’. The younger generations in particular are placing a larger emphasis on workplace culture, values and purpose; if they don’t receive this, then they are voting with their feet (Deloitte: Gen Z and Millennial survey 2022). Organisations might therefore consider offering opportunities for advancement, as well as looking at how they can foster a culture where their people feel encouraged and motivated to work, rather than being controlled or consumed by it.

Ultimately, for employees to thrive in their roles they need to feel happy and fulfilled in their lives. Making a conscious effort to foster a healthy, supportive culture, whether by making workloads more sustainable, or by making sure employees feel a forward sense of purpose beyond just career development opportunities, will help your people remain engaged and connected to the core vision.