Quiet Quitting

As 'quiet quitters' defend their choice to take a step back from work, company executives and workplace experts argue that it could harm your career in the ...

Career coach Allison Peck never considered herself a “quiet quitter.” In fact, she credits going above and beyond at her job in the medical device industry as the reason she was able to purchase her first home. “Employers have to make an effort to enable people to have a say in their own future,” he says. “That can make you want to jump through hoops.” Arianna Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post and CEO at Thrive, wrote in a viral [LinkedIn post](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6965397668625805312?updateEntityUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_feedUpdate%3A%28V2%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6965397668625805312%29), “Quiet quitting isn’t just about quitting on a job, it’s a step toward quitting on life.” “Whether people feel like their coworkers are committed to quality work can affect the performance of the organization and cause friction inside teams and organizations,” says Jim Harter, Chief Scientist for Gallup’s workplace management practice. Vari coins an alternative: ‘loudly persisting,’ the act of employees feeling encouraged enough to vocalize how their organization can better serve their goals. The survey also found that among the top concerns of the Gen-Z and millennial generation is finances, with pay being the number one reason workers in the demographic left their roles in the last two years. Aside from providing his employees remote-work flexibility and on-site perks at the office, he says his workplace lacks quiet quitters because he values employees’ moments of pushback. Taylor, who, as a CEO himself leads a team of over 500 associates, advocates for his employees taking time off when they’re feeling overworked, but he doesn’t see how embracing quiet quitting will be helpful to employees in the long term. [economic slowdown](https://time.com/6201205/what-is-a-recession-2022/) swirling, productivity levels are a major concern to company executives. [Society for Human Resource Management](https://www.shrm.org/), the world’s largest HR society, says remote work has caused severe burnout, Zoom fatigue, and made it harder for some workers to take breaks from home. Maggie Perkins, a Georgia-based teaching advocate, had been working as a teacher for nearly half a decade before she decided to “quiet quit” her job.

For those not ready to make a grand exit, a softer approach may work.

“There are fewer boundaries of when work starts and when work stops.” “It means that the expectation is for you to do more than the company actually compensates you for, and that will work out well for you,” she said. You do the work you are compensated for, and if you want to go above and beyond, good for you, but that shouldn’t be a requirement.” Matt Spielman, a career coach in New York City and author of the book “Inflection Points: How to Work and Live With Purpose,” understands why some people may want to scale back at work. “I am going to do my job, and do it well, and do things that actually interest me,” she said. “But besides that, I am already underpaid, so I am definitely not going to take on more.” “I am a bit of a perfectionist,” she said. “I get these ideas, and I run with them.” She is especially interested in projects involving diversity, equity and inclusion, and she is helping her company develop better policies and programs. “It’s validating,” she said. “To be given a list of so many things to do and tick them off one by one, it’s fulfilling,” she said. “I’m all about balance,” she said. “You are still performing your duties, but you are no longer subscribing to the hustle culture mentally that work has to be our life.” [Clayton Farris](https://www.tiktok.com/@claytonfarris4ever/video/7132932374123384110?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1), a TikTok user with 48,000 followers, who posted about the trend days later, says in his own video: “I don’t stress and internally rip myself to shreds.”

Backlash emerges against the viral term many say is shorthand for setting healthy boundaries. RF work home laptop. Photographer: nensuria/iStockphoto.

Part of Kathy Caprino's series “Becoming The Most Powerful You, To Live and Work Better”. Quiet Quitting. Are you ready to engage in #quietquitting" or ...

And it helped [leaders and managers wake up](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2021/12/29/rebuilding-great-workplace-cultures-as-ceos-join-the-great-resignation/?sh=60c2506a64da) to the severity of the problem with how they were leading. And when have these gaps we find it harder to speak up and stand up for ourselves, and be the true advocate and author of our lives. If you’re chronically doing more than is healthy, appropriate and necessary, make sure that you get some outside help (a coach, coaching buddy or perhaps some therapeutic support) to examine that behavior. It might mean that you decide work will give you a just paycheck, but your true interests lie outside of work, and those matter more. Build a clear, emotion-free strong case (with facts, metrics, data and support) for why you feel you’ve been tasked with more than is appropriate for the compensation you’re receiving. Most notable is that our new normal of “remote work,” while it has some benefits, unfortunately can completely blur our boundaries between home and work, and make it even more difficult to feel (and understand when) we’re “done” with the work that we’re being paid for, for the day. And several of these gaps hit younger people (18 to 24) even harder. To close these gaps, we need to embark on what I term the 7 Bravery-Boosting Paths To Career Bliss: Brave Sight, Speak, Ask, Connection, Challenge, Service, and Healing. And it allows them some new ways to think about how to regain control of their lives that they so desperately need and want. The name is a bit misleading as it’s a concept that’s not referring to quitting your employment or your job or making plans to do that “quietly.” These “quiet quitting” actions are aimed at helping avoid the growing experience of burnout, being taken advantage of, working longer hours than required, and doing more than you were hired to, without being compensated for it. But there’s a good deal to tease out that’s important for all professionals as well as their leaders and managers to understand and consider, and take action on.

Employees want to be fairly compensated for additional time and work, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates occupational burnout and mental health ...

"With the baby boomer generation retiring, there's simply fewer workers to take their places," she said. Now in effect, the legislation obligates most employers to have a written policy, outlining how workers can disengage after hours. During the pandemic, advocates in Ontario lobbied for a "right to disconnect" bill. While the term "quiet quitting" may be a new invention, the mentality behind it is not. "So it's just about a job and pay, and there's no real learning," he said. "We have seen that people can be productive at home," said Ho. Ho, a freelance business and culture reporter based in Richmond Hill, Ont. Another third decided to retire sooner because of the pandemic. Employees want to be fairly compensated for additional time and work, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates occupational burnout and mental health issues. "I've learned from my own experience that … The phrase is resonating, too. "I think what's happening a lot is people — a lot of younger people in particular — are taking jobs that are more transactional," said Tim Magwood, the CEO of 1-DEGREE/Shift, a human resources consulting firm in Toronto.

A viral TikTok has reignited the discussion around how people approach their jobs.

Although open jobs in the US fell to [10.7 million](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm) in June from 11.25 in May, the report said it's likely openings won't return to a more normal range for a while. [video on CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/video/2022/08/19/quiet-quitting-why-kevin-oleary-says-its-a-bad-idea-for-your-career.html), he said you're hired at a company to make the business work, and you should go above and beyond because you want to – and that's how to get ahead. If you're a quiet quitter, you're a loser." "For some, 'lying flat' promises release from the crush of life and work in a fast-paced society and technology sector where competition is unrelenting. Henderson thinks of it as "quiet survival," and it's something she's done in her own career. the expectations and exploitation of employers is so extreme now, that just doing your job is considered quitting," said Leigh Henderson. "The tether to the workplace … It's the idea of meeting the requirements of a job and stopping there. The reality is it's not, and your worth as a person is not defined by your labor." Quiet quitting is the idea of doing your job and nothing more. At the end of July, @zaidlepppelin posted on TikTok about a phrase called "quiet quitting." In April of that year, the concept went viral.

'We treated employees like machines: 'How do we get the most out of them?''

They’re a fraction of productivity or innovation or creativity, whatever you’re measuring, they’re going to be a fraction of that.” “These are not common practices — they should be, but they’re not. Just being able to clearly define what our expectations and what are our success markers, so the employee can meet those, and not be so hung up on time and not be so hung up on how the work is done.” Even if they were, they wouldn’t have said it. “You hire a whole person when you hire them, and so to be able to develop the skills of empathy, emotional intelligence, how to manage distress, how to notice it in somebody else, and reprioritize for them, these are all fundamental skills,” she says. “People wouldn’t have admitted it.

A growing number of Americans say they're done going the extra mile for their employers. Some experts call that progress.

"But you have to be mindful of what's going on in America and play the game." Some employees are recognizing their managers didn't go "above and beyond" for them during the pandemic, noted Ed Zitron, the CEO of public relations firm EZPR, in a Workers who are attracted to the idea of quiet quitting should first question their motives and goals, Spielman said. Carter of the HRQueen said such groups still face unconscious bias and need to be mindful of that. That can result in businesses failing to get the best out of their staff, while workers put in long hours on a job they find unfulfilling. Instead, it's about doing what is required of them, without volunteering for an ambitious project, agreeing to work at nights and weekends, or otherwise going the extra mile in ways that Americans are traditionally encouraged to as a way to demonstrate their worth to an employer. But about 30% of people between 25 to 34 said they're doing the bare minimum — compared with just 8% for workers over 54, the study found. "Quiet quitting is a manifestation of people not having candid, grownup conversations." Other experts voice caution about jumping on the trend, especially for workers who have traditionally faced hurdles in career advancement, such as people of color and women. There's a new term for clocking in and doing the bare minimum at work: "quiet quitting." "Studies show that [people of color] don't have the same resources as their White colleagues. To some extent, quiet quitting may represent an evolution of the Great Resignation, with Americans pushing back against blithe employer expectations that they'll obediently put in more hours each week without additional compensation.

"Quiet quitting" has caught fire on social media as a way to describe setting boundaries at work.

[Jeannette Muhammad](https://www.wbur.org/inside/staff/jeannette-muhammad) adapted it for the web. Telford says talks of quiet quitting came amidst burnout spikes and arrived on the heels of the Great Resignation, which saw over [47 million workers voluntarily leave their jobs in 2021](https://hbr.org/2022/03/the-great-resignation-didnt-start-with-the-pandemic). Now, compared to Baby Boomers and Generation X prioritizing work-life balance, Telford says Millennials and Gen Z workers are more interested in career paths that will give them the life they want outside of work. [James Perkins Mastromarino](https://www.wbur.org/inside/staff/james-perkins) produced and edited this interview for broadcast with [Tinku Ray](https://www.wbur.org/inside/staff/tinku-ray). [chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed](https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/05/28/727637944/who-redefines-burnout-as-a-syndrome-linked-to-chronic-stress-at-work)” in 2019, and a 2022 study from the American Psychological Association confirmed [burnout continues to rise](https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/01/special-burnout-stress). [Taylor Telford](https://twitter.com/taylormtelford?lang=en), who covers corporate culture for the Washington Post, says the phrase doesn’t really involve quitting a job.

This week's Forbes Careers newsletter brings the latest news, commentary and ideas about the workplace, leadership and the future of work straight to your ...

From Ford to Wayfair and more, [Forbes is tracking](https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/08/22/ford-reportedly-laying-off-3000-employees-here-are-the-major-us-job-cuts-amid-growing-recession-fears/?sh=50e76fee6181) the latest in layoff news. While it can improve efficiency, it can create crisis situations for businesses and leaders, senior contributor [Edward Segal writes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/edwardsegal/2022/08/18/how-productivity-and-surveillance-technology-can-create-a-crisis-for-businesses/?sh=68a4f82679fa). [Five tips](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kwamechristian/2022/08/23/follow-these-5-steps-to-make-your-next-difficult-conversation-easier/?sh=19562e5c35fe) to help you in your next difficult conversation. He said in a statement he is “not retiring” and plans to pursue the “next phase” of his career to “continue to advance science and public health.” Forbes’ [Edward Segal rounds up](https://www.forbes.com/sites/edwardsegal/2022/08/22/fauci-will-leave-behind-key-crisis-communication-lessons-when-he-retires-in-december/?sh=4305fd024c01) the leadership lessons to be learned from Fauci. [how to look](https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewfennell/2022/08/22/how-to-job-hunt-without-alerting-your-boss/?sh=4b7b67136bf3) without your boss knowing. [quiet quitting](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2022/08/23/quiet-quittingwhat-is-it-and-where-do-you-stand-on-it/?sh=7d032da720df),” and you can read more from our conversation [here](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenamcgregor/2022/08/24/what-the-professor-who-coined-engagement-on-the-job-thinks-about-the-quiet-quitting-trend/?sh=2a6ee71e5be0). [red flags to watch](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2022/08/22/interviewing-is-like-dating-here-are-warning-signs-that-its-not-going-to-be-a-match/?sh=58a615da1eeb) for in your potential new partner—er, company. [How to show courage](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathymillerperkins/2022/08/23/how-to-conquer-fear-show-simple-courage-and-increase-your-impact/?sh=7b63e47534bc) at work, from speaking up during a meeting to standing up for a co-worker. [quiet quitting](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2022/08/22/how-both-managers-and-workers-can-combat-quiet-quitting/?sh=7414bfd7466d)” debate has grown—is this simply [Gen Z rejecting hustle culture](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6966445729728839680?updateEntityUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_feedUpdate%3A%28V2%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A6966445729728839680%29)? Surveillance technology, writes Forbes contributor [Tracy Brower](https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2022/08/21/surveillance-technology-can-damage-culture-5-ways-to-ensure-it-doesnt/?sh=2954e3976e91), can damage company culture and erode trust. For more on this latest workplace buzzword, check out some advice from our contributors: [How to combat it](https://www.forbes.com/sites/adriangostick/2022/08/23/5-ways-to-combat-quiet-quitting/?sh=63df37244c49), signs [to watch for,](https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2022/08/19/6-signs-that-a-quiet-quitter-is-among-your-employees-and-what-to-do-about-it/) and what both [managers and workers can do](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2022/08/22/how-both-managers-and-workers-can-combat-quiet-quitting/?sh=38e0a2a0466d) to respond. (Thank you, publicists, I’m well aware of the concept.)

People on social media are firing back at "quiet quitting" by saying it's about doing work you're paid for, and instead "quiet firing" is the problem.

But people on social media are arguing the term is focusing on the wrong problem. [people on social media](https://www.reddit.com/r/antiwork/comments/wueqqz/quiet_quitting_is_the_only_response_acceptable_to/) are describing it, is when employers treat workers badly to the point they will quit, instead of the employer just firing them. The debate between quiet quitting and quiet firing is reminiscent of a larger conversation about the relationship between employers and employees. [r/antiwork Reddit page](https://www.reddit.com/r/antiwork/), one user [wrote that quiet quitting](https://www.reddit.com/r/antiwork/comments/wp0ms3/why_is_quiet_quitting_even_a_thing/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) is just "someone only doing what's in their job description and nothing more." Enter "quiet firing" — the response to quiet quitting. [took off on TikTok](https://www.businessinsider.com/quiet-quitting-answer-corporate-burnout-tiktok-yes-2022-8?IR=C) among millennials and Gen Zers, is referring to employees doing what their job expects of them, and not offering to do more than what they get paid to do.