Burnout has been a
Research and consulting company Gallup defines quiet quitting as workers fulfilling their job description, but refusing to go above and beyond or invest themselves emotionally in their work. Over 50% of workers surveyed by Gallup in June say they feel this way about their work.
Whether it takes the form of employees missing deadlines, not participating in meetings, increased absences or even general pessimism, quiet quitting is a product of companies not giving their employees the space or tools to meet their physical and mental needs, rather than laziness or apathy, says Desiree Pascual, chief people officer at Headspace Health, a mental healthcare benefits provider.
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"At the core of it, quiet quitting is about setting healthy work boundaries rather than a discreet, malicious movement by employees against companies," says Pascual. "It is a conscious shift away from hustle culture, and perhaps even a silent protest against what employees consider unhealthy workplace cultures."
EBN spoke with Pascual to further delve into the roots of quiet quitting and the antidote to a worn-out workforce.
Why is quiet quitting appearing in today's workplace?
Employees across various ages, industries and income brackets in the last few years have experienced high levels of fatigue, burnout and general dissatisfaction influenced by the pandemic, social unrest, war overseas and economic downturn. Yet, [quiet quitting] is primarily being voiced by younger generations.
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The difference between younger generations and Gen X or boomers is that more young people are airing their dissatisfaction publicly, including on social media. So we are much more aware of what's actually going on in our workforces. These younger generations are not the first to experience economic hardship, but they are the first to broadcast it. Ten or even five years ago, they might have been stifled by fear of burning bridges or alienating potential employers. But what sets these generations apart is their determination to feel fulfilled both in their jobs as well as in their personal lives. Ultimately, they expect employers to recognize that and promote policies that encourage that work-life balance.
What does quiet quitting actually look like in practice?
Some markers employers look at are people missing deadlines and goals, lack of participation in meetings or sharing input, more absences and sick leaves, general withdrawal from the culture and a certain degree of cynicism. But ultimately, employees are just overwhelmed and trying to gain some balance. Especially in remote workplaces, there's this expectation that we are always plugged in at all hours of the day, and we know that is not sustainable.
Employers may think employees are coming in, doing what's necessary to skate by and disengaging to take advantage of the employer. But I believe the employee's goal is to untangle their identities from their jobs. So they are drawing a line — we will be there for you from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and then we're going to shut down and live our lives.
How can employers begin to cure a culture that is overworked and overwhelmed?
The antidote to quiet quitting is cultivating a culture of competent and compassionate people management. Our organization is doing some work to that end by offering compassionate leadership workshops and designing a series of training to equip managers with science-backed practices that support mental health and well-being in the workplace. It comes down to understanding what employees need to succeed properly, resourcing them and creating work conditions that allow them to reach their objectives — and then get out of the way.
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Another thing that we've been really adamant about at Headspace Health is measuring psychological safety. The people who choose to disengage or quiet quit are often employees who are hesitant to express their needs in what may feel to them to be an unsafe environment. Our workshops are about creating a culture where people feel like they're encouraged to balance work and personal lives by our leaders.
As for the burnout continuum, it's so important that we tend to our mental and emotional health daily to prevent a burnout spiral. People's needs fall on a spectrum, from mindfulness and meditation tools all the way to coaching and therapy. We get people the right level of support quickly.
What is your advice to employers who feel quiet quitting is an issue in their workforce?
Have well-defined and sustainable work practices. For example, everyone should know how we structure meetings, how we communicate across the company, how our work contributes to the overall mission and how we recognize people who do high-impact work. That level of clarity and predictability go a long way. And when your work practices lead to employee satisfaction, psychological safety and engagement, there's no such thing as quiet quitting because you have created pathways to meet your employees' needs as well as your own.
We are living in a world right now that is marked by uncertainty, so the more predictability and certainty we can create in the context of work, the better we will be equipped to navigate uncertain times ahead.
