We know that lately — during the pandemic especially — employee burnout has been real. It’s even helped fuel “the great resignation” – with employees quitting their jobs and even outright switching careers. But now, there is a new approach to tackling employees feeling overtaxed and under-rewarded: “quiet quitting.”
Related: 10 signs you’re heading for a burnout diagnosis and 5 ways to rectify it.
The term is taking on momentum especially with the Gen Z set, and TikTokers are sharing the ins and outs of the concept; essentially, advising peers to stop stretching themselves beyond their role mandates, taking on extra hours and putting their hands up for additional duties that may not see fair reward.
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Quiet quitting is that middle road between outright resigning from your job and promoting that hustle-culture mindset that can lead to toxic work-life imbalance, with some even feeling guilty to take their deserved time off work.
This trend of disaffection among workers isn’t isolated to North America alone either. In China, terms such as “involution” and “lying flat” also entered the lexicon (the former refers to a movement away from evolution and towards a certain lack of motivation, while the latter recognizes that there is life beyond hustle culture and being overworked and overstressed).
While there certainly needs to be a balance, better boundary setting and not equating self-worth with your job title isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
See also: Pandemic has a negative impact on women in the workplace: Research.
