By Heather Nezich, courtesy of SBAM Approved Partner ASE
Have you heard about the latest workplace trend? It’s called quiet quitting. It’s when an employee makes a decision to no longer go above and beyond, and instead, do the bare minimum as entailed in their job description.
Quiet quitting can take the form of turning down projects based on interest, arriving late and/or leaving early, refusing to answer work messages outside of working hours, or simply feeling less invested in the role. Apparently, its how employees are reducing burnout; however, it’s having a negative effect on the organizations they work for.
Why do employees quiet quit?
- They do not feel fulfilled in their job.
- They feel underpaid.
- It is a form of protest to demand some changes.
- They are not receiving enough recognition or perks.
- The employee feels burnt out.
- The employee is seeking a job change.
‘If you are getting to the point in your career where you feel that you’re putting work above everything else – at the expense of other important parts of your life – it can be incredibly demoralizing,’ says Charlotte Davies, a career expert at LinkedIn.
Managers should recognize the signs of quiet quitting and address them promptly. Encourage the employee to ask themself:
- What’s the root problem of your dissatisfaction?
- Compensation?
- Recognition?
- Meaning?
- Burnout?
Rebecca Holt, clinical psychologist and co-founder and director of Working Mindset, says the key to preventing employees getting in this state is to ensure that people are engaged in their work and that work provides purpose and meaning for people. “Employees need to feel part of a bigger picture, to have autonomy and control, and to feel psychologically safe – all the things that we know make a good day at work,” she says.
What can organizations do to avoid quiet quitting?
- Encourage employees to utilize their personal and/or vacation time.
- Encourage employees to look after their wellbeing and set acceptable boundaries.
- Respect the boundaries set by the employee.
- Avoid formal agendas in one-on-one meetings with employees which allows for more open communication.
- Provide opportunities for open communication with the entire team.
- Encourage a culture of work/life balance. Lead by example.
Beyond fair and marketable compensation, employers need to show workers that they are appreciated and their work has meaning as well as give employees control and pride in their work. Encourage a healthy work/life balance and manage workloads in order to avoid burnout that could lead to quiet quitting.