Is it a negative thing that people are “Quiet Quitting” their jobs? As a worker who once held a high-ranking position as Operations Manager at one of Canada’s leading manufacturing companies, I say: “NO! It really isn’t.”
We have all been hearing about “quiet quitting” lately and I would like to set the record straight from an employee’s perspective. Now look, I am just some random person on the internet but I will give you my take on the new world of employment as I see it.
My Backstory – For Context
To start with, I was once employed at a company located in Toronto, Canada. I started there as a CNC programmer. I have had many jobs before doing the same thing, but this time the company was different. I was able to use my skills and experience to take that company from $3 million a year to over $35 million. I won’t take all the credit for this, I was part of a tremendous team of workers who were willing to work as well as people who valued my input, feedback, and criticism. Together, we increased productivity, we bought over $1 million worth of new equipment after the first year I worked there, and the overall business grew exponentially. The CEO of the company was so happy with our performance that we were given bonuses almost equal to that of the yearly salary of someone making minimum wage in Canada, roughly $20 000.
Then, slowly things began to change. And they changed for the worse. And good people started leaving the company due to burnout among other things. When the good people started to leave, they were replaced with people who had little to no experience, or in some cases were just neighbors of people who worked there and needed a job.
I worked there for 6 years and climbed the ladder to reach the position of Operations Manager. One day, while I was running around, as usual, trying to do the jobs of some of my colleagues, I had an accident involving some equipment and I was knocked unconscious, broke a couple of ribs, cracked my shoulder blade, broke a hand, suffered severe nerve damage, and got a concussion.
Fast forward to 13 months after the accident. Still suffering from ongoing issues from the injuries I sustained, I get AN EMAIL from my employer stating that they are going to terminate me due to my inability to return to work and perform my expected duties.
Not even a phone call, not even “Hey man, come into the office and let’s discuss some things here.” An email is how I was terminated. I wasn’t given a severance package and was accused of stealing company property because there are some things that only I knew how to do and no one else there could do it. I could not believe this. But as frustrated and angry as I felt about all of this, I had to accept this and move on.
Now, I am running a successful online business where I answer only to my customers. Most importantly I have the freedom to worry about getting healthy again for my family and being the loving father that I am for my kids. And I love everything about it and would not change it for anything.
In the months being off, trying to recover I came across many articles talking about “Quiet Quitting” and no matter how much I read up on it, I could never understand what it was. But one day it hit me, almost as hard as that machine at work did. My interpretation of “Quiet Quitting” was basically that employers were now becoming infuriated with their employees for essentially doing the job that they were hired to do.
With all that said, I would like to give a realistic perspective on this subject and I hope you enjoy it and find it useful.
Quiet Quitting – The “Definition”
It seems that employers coined this term to mean that employees are “quietly leaving” their jobs. Now if you just take it as that, then you’d think that it means that employees were just up and leaving their jobs without giving any notice to anyone. They were “quitting”.
The reality is that instead of going above and beyond at work, people are choosing to stick to their job descriptions. That’s it, nothing more. But is it that horrible if employees only perform the bare minimum required of them instead of putting forth their best efforts?
According to a Gallup study conducted in 2022, at least 50% of US workers are so-called “quiet quitters.” Merely 3% of people in the UK, according to a YouGov survey, say they only do the “basic minimum” at work. But 17% of respondents claimed that they were merely carrying out their duties as needed without exerting much effort. So what causes people to quietly leave their jobs, and do you think this is a negative thing?
Burnout, Fatigue, and Low Wages
The answer to that question is quite simple: burnout, fatigue, and not being paid very well are why people will “Quietly Quit”.
One of the main causes of employees taking time off from work is burnout. People are now more inclined to prioritize their personal life and welfare over their jobs due to an increased understanding of the harmful effects of ongoing stress. And this is understandable to any person with more than 3 brain cells. But when you have a boss who is just a slave driver and no matter how much you do, it is never good enough, you sometimes find yourself not taking time off needed to destress and relax, and then BANG – burnout.
Many employees take satisfaction in going above and beyond the call of duty. In fact, many of us are fine working late or responding to emails outside of regular business hours in all honesty. However, a growing body of evidence indicates that workers who go above and beyond the call of duty run a higher risk of developing mental health issues.
Burnout leads to fatigue. Fatigue then leads to mental health issues. And then you end up with employees who have just simply had enough. Coupled with not being compensated for overtime, or just being paid very poorly to begin with, you can easily see why employees are starting to fight back. It is not hard to see this from an employee’s point of view.
Another component of all of this is also poor management. We all know this exists, but many people refuse to acknowledge it. According to research, a lack of career options, stagnating income, and a rising sense of disrespect are to blame for employees’ frustration.
Again looking at my personal situation, my manager was the neighbor of one of the high ranking directors at the company. This individual had no previous manufacturing experience and was hired only because he had a friend in a high place. Once this individual was hired, everything went downhill. What’s even more mind-blowing is that upper management did not want to acknowledge this. They simply blamed this on people “Quiet Quitting”. But I could see it as clear as day since I was so connected to the people who worked on the floor. And when I saw that one of the people who I always depended on to work some overtime, or work that much harder in order to hit a deadline started refusing to work as he once used to, and would just clock out when his shift was over, I realized there was a huge problem here. Management plays a huge role in this whole “Quiet Quitting” trend that seems to be plaguing the market now and this is something that no one seems to be discussing. (This article will be coming soon)
For Gen Z and younger millennials under 35, this seems to be especially true. The possibility for younger workers to feel valued and advance in their careers has dramatically decreased since the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a result, many have turned to doing whatever it takes to get by. If management isn’t motivating their workers, who will? Why would they want to go above and beyond anymore?
According to an unnamed consultant at AdviserPlus, “Employee engagement is more than routine one-on-ones and work-focused check-ins.” It is the management’s responsibility to make employees feel appreciated and recognized for who they are. This will help them develop a stronger emotional bond with the company, and then the effort they put into their work will just come naturally.
Is “Quiet Quitting” Actually That Bad?
On the one hand, “Quiet Quitting” aids in addressing the escalating issue of employee burnout. Burnout reports among UK employees have nearly doubled in 2021 to reach record highs. Data gathered by Glassdoor from more than 380,000 anonymous employee reviews between June 2021 and May 2022 revealed a 48% increase in the unfavorable mention of exhaustion.
“Quiet Quitting” can be prevented by maintaining regular work hours, getting proper rest, and controlling or reducing workloads. In other words, “Quiet Quitting” IS NOT BAD AT ALL! Unfortunately, the employees are being made to look like the enemy here. They are simply just trying to get control of their lives back, especially now after what the entire world has been put through with the COVID pandemic.
I believe that the authors and storytellers of most of these articles about “Quiet Quitting” should be ashamed of themselves. It is not fair to place blame on anyone here, but it is clear as day, from a worker’s perspective, that “Quiet Quitting” is no more than a play on words used to vilify a group of people. I cannot see how anyone can have a problem with an employee if all they are doing is the job that they are expected to do.
“Quiet Quitting” is frequently an indication of more serious organizational issues at work, which can result in low morale and productivity, more resignations, and a high turnover rate. Finding solutions to issues and techniques to maintain motivation is necessary to keep workers satisfied. This is the responsibility of the employer and not the employee.
I would also like to point out that I am not saying that employees should go to work and not try. I am a huge believer in hard work and earning your pay from the sweat off your brow, but there are limits to that. Unfortunately, it took a serious accident and terrible injury for me to learn that. I was once an employee who stayed late, worked harder than others to prove my worth, and went above and beyond my duties each and every day, which ultimately got me nothing in the end.
Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors has a saying he strongly believes in and repeats very often: “Bet on yourself.”
Addressing “Quiet Quitting” – Is There A Solution?
Employers must determine how employees feel about their jobs and the company to prevent “Quiet Quitting”. Surveys, paid time off, mental health days, company BBQ’s and other events can be helpful. But better ideas need to be developed. Employers should pay attention and put into practice measures that help people feel appreciated, such as regular engagement activities and personalized awards for good work. Not to mention, better pay. In Canada, we are on track to experience the worst level of inflation in over 35 years. And yet, workers’ wages are stagnant and you still hear about companies making record profits. Now admittingly, I am not a financial expert by any stretch of the imagination, but something there seems off to me. To maintain motivation, it is also beneficial to provide workers the chance to learn new skills, follow up on unfavorable feedback, and ensure that goals are properly defined.
In the end, if employees are performing the necessary tasks, “Quiet Quitting” might not be such a catastrophe as some people are making it out to be. However, employers must address the underlying issues, such as subpar management and constrained possibilities, that cause employees to lose interest in their jobs.
I love you all and wish you all nothing but success.
To your success,
