Are Your Employees "Quiet Quitting"?

By now I’m sure you’ve seen the term “quiet quitting” floating around your social feeds. Zaid Khan coined the term on Tik Tok, explaining, “You're not outright quitting your job, but you're quitting the idea of going above and beyond”.

This isn’t an incredibly new concept; in China the younger generations use the term “lying flat” or tang ping as part of a social movement that aims to shed light on the societal pressures to overwork.

So why are people “quiet quitting”? The main cause is employee burnout. Many younger Millennial and Gen-Z employees feel as though they’re being taken advantage of by their companies. They find themselves being overworked, underpaid, and undervalued in their positions. External stressors (inflation, stagnant wages, cost of living, etc.) and labor shortages aren’t helping, as employees find themselves being given more and more work and not seeing proper wage increases for these additional tasks.

Heavier workloads with little to no change in wages leads to frustration among the workforce. The labor shortage isn’t younger generations not wanting to work. It’s younger generations refusing to accept positions that have no proper work-life balance and no fair pay. This, accompanied with significant lack of upwards career growth has led to employees “quietly quitting” their positions while they look for new employment.

Many Millennial and Gen-Z employees feel as though they are losing their youth working for companies that don’t care about them and don’t pay them enough to make the misery worth it. You’ll often find companies that offer fair wages, promote work-life balance, and give their employees vacation time & sick leave are inundated with job applications. Younger employees want to work, they often have a serious drive to prove themselves, but they also want to be able to survive and have meaningful lives outside of their work. Companies like Indeed and Merit America offer fair wages, exceptional benefits (including unlimited vacation time) and promote proper work-life balance (offering 4-day work weeks on a 9/80 schedule) to prevent employee burnout. Not only are these companies doing incredibly well financially, but their employees are happier and more productive than ever.

Employee burnout is also caused by poor management, not necessarily by any fault of the managers themselves, but often because managers themselves are frustrated, not properly trained, and may be experiencing their own burnout. So, how can management prevent their own burnout, and help to prevent “quiet quitting” from happening in their workplaces?

1. Frequent meetings with staff to find out what they need to stay productive, healthy, and motivated.

2. Making sure that the work environment feels safe. Try offering remote or hybrid options if possible. Not only does this cut costs for the employer, but the change in scenery may boost productivity in some of your employees.

3. Offer recognition and appreciation for a job well done. Take time to make sure your employees know that they are valued by you, and that you’re appreciative of the work that they do.

4. Offer fair wages. Do research for average wages in your area (or nationwide by going to the Bureau of Labor Statistics) and make your wages fair if not competitive.

5. Promote a healthy work-life balance among your employees. Make sure they feel comfortable and supported enough to use their PTO, so that they can relax and come back to work refreshed and ready to be a productive team member.

6. Understand that your staff is human and treat them as such. Know that just as you have personal problems in your life, your staff will too. Make sure to pay attention and let them know that they can always ask for help. Consider offering mental health time and offer employee support services for those who may be struggling post-pandemic or in general.

7. Give realistic workloads, and don’t punish or belittle employees when they make minor mistakes or can’t get everything done on time (promote getting work done in a timely manner but tell your employees to ask for assistance). Let them know when you need things done by and make sure that their deadlines are feasible for their current or upcoming workload.

8. Don’t assume that just because an employee is a high performer, that they can automatically handle more work. Make sure you check in with your employees before giving additional work. Know that as their manager, if they are unable to handle the extra workload, that this responsibility may fall to you. When employees agree to or offer to take more work, be grateful and appreciative. Don’t take their initiative, hard work, or dedication for granted.

9. Management should have the same expectations for work-life balance. Have your managers lead by example, and remember that they also have heavy workloads, and are managing their team on top of them. Employees - especially new hires - will try to work up to a certain standard often set by their management.

10. If you see an employee who seems to be overworking themselves or experiencing burnout, pull them aside and have a discussion about how you can best support them. Offer things like time off, decreased workloads, or just someone to talk to if they need it. This helps your employees feel valued and appreciated, stops high turnover rates, and can often increase productivity when they’re back on their feet.

If you want more ideas on how to prevent employee burnout and “quiet quitting” take a look at these resources:

• People Management

• LinkedIn

• Wall Street Journal