Why 'quiet quitting' could be good for you and your employer

[DOBIEMKZ]

Commentary: Why 'quiet quitting' could be good for you and your employer

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/work-life-balance-employer-staff-burnout-quit-2885826?cid=FBcna&fbclid=IwAR2ye5G-DtrDPAhNo5FAI1sFyiIV5YRT0vmkrpm6UqbFjdUce0vRwiEsN2w

The trend of “quiet quitting” has clearly resonated with young people, to the frustration of some managers. Working at minimal capacity may feel alien, but has benefits for both sides, says a psychologist.

Nilufar Ahmed, 18 Aug 2022 06:21AM (Updated: 18 Aug 2022 06:21AM)

File photo. The trend of "quiet quitting", or doing the bare minimum expected at work, has taken off on TikTok. (Photo: iStock/Kazuma Seki)

BRISTOL, England: In many offices (not to mention on Zoom, Teams and Slack), employees and managers alike are whispering about the “great resignation”.

The UK saw a sharp rise in people quitting their jobs in 2021, and one-fifth of UK workers still say they plan to resign in the next year in search of greater job satisfaction and better pay.

If you’re unhappy at work, but leaving your job isn’t an option or there are no appealing alternatives, you may want to try “quiet quitting”. This trend of simply doing the bare minimum expected at work has taken off on TikTok and clearly resonated with young people.

It has also frustrated managers, with some reportedly concerned about their employees slacking off. But quiet quitting is not about avoiding work, it is about not avoiding a meaningful life outside of work.

The last 20 years have seen many people join a global culture of overwork, with unpaid labour becoming an expected part of many jobs. After multiple recessions and a global pandemic, millennials and Generation Z in particular often do not have the same job opportunities and financial security as their parents.

Many young people in professional jobs who expected a relatively straightforward progression in life have struggled with precarious contracts, job uncertainties and trying to get onto the housing ladder. There are those who constantly put in extra hours and go above and beyond at work to try and secure promotions and bonuses – yet still struggle.

Perhaps in response to this disappointment, a recent study by Deloitte found young people are increasingly seeking flexibility and purpose in their work, and balance and satisfaction in their lives. Many young professionals are now rejecting the live-to-work lifestyle, by continuing to work but not allowing work to control them.

File photo. Quiet quitting aims to restore balance where work has crept into personal time. (Photo: iStock/M_a_y_a)

Working at minimal capacity may feel alien. But you (and your employer) shouldn’t fear quiet quitting – it could actually be good for you.

PROTECT AGAINST BURNOUT

Studies have found that work-life balance is linked to mental health in a variety of jobs. And a 2021 survey of 2,017 UK workers by employer review website Glassdoor found that more than half felt they had poor work-life balance.

Quiet quitting aims to restore balance where work has crept into your personal time. It can also help to separate your self-worth from work. When all you have is work, it is hard not to derive your sense of value from it.

Perceived failures at work, such as not getting a promotion or recognition for your achievements, can become internalised as personal failures.

This can increase anxiety, making you worry about how to improve your performance. Often, people respond by doing more work, further exacerbating the vicious cycle of overwork and low self-esteem.

When things get really bad it can result in burnout. In 2019, the World Health Organization officially recognised burnout as an occupational phenomenon characterised by feelings of depletion, exhaustion, cynicism, mental distance from work and poorer performance. Burnout is a significant risk of overwork and can have long-term physical, emotional and mental health impacts.

Burnout is difficult and costly for individuals and employers. Many people with burnout end up taking time off work, or at least working at less than full capacity. Quiet quitting can create a better balance of work and personal life and so could protect against burnout before it happens.

BETTER WORK RELATIONSHIPS

Research shows that happier employees are more productive and engaged. This can even mitigate against feeling distracted or not wanting to be present.

When people are feeling happy they are more likely to be friendlier and open, fostering workplace friendships, which people report as being a significant part of their enjoyment at work. Quiet quitting’s focus on just doing your job also removes the negative impact of constantly feeling in competition with peers.

Having workplace friendships taps in to our basic need for a sense of belonging and can in turn increase loyalty to a workplace and improve job performance. All of this can result in greater productivity, which of course means higher profits.

Quiet quitting could be a “great liberation” in response to the great resignation. People are rejecting overwork and burnout and choosing balance and joy. They are establishing boundaries so their identity and self-value is not tied to their work productivity.

Instead of getting nervous at loss of productivity, employers should take advantage of the quiet quitting movement to support the wellbeing of their staff. Encouraging a better work-life balance will communicate to workers that they are valued, leading to greater engagement, productivity, and loyalty: Everyone wins.

Nilufar Ahmed is Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences at the University of Bristol. This commentary first appeared on The Conversation.

 

[Stary]

18 minutes ago, DOBIEMKZ said:

Commentary: Why 'quiet quitting' could be good for you and your employer

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/work-life-balance-employer-staff-burnout-quit-2885826?cid=FBcna&fbclid=IwAR2ye5G-DtrDPAhNo5FAI1sFyiIV5YRT0vmkrpm6UqbFjdUce0vRwiEsN2w

The trend of “quiet quitting” has clearly resonated with young people, to the frustration of some managers. Working at minimal capacity may feel alien, but has benefits for both sides, says a psychologist.

Nilufar Ahmed, 18 Aug 2022 06:21AM (Updated: 18 Aug 2022 06:21AM)

File photo. The trend of "quiet quitting", or doing the bare minimum expected at work, has taken off on TikTok. (Photo: iStock/Kazuma Seki)

BRISTOL, England: In many offices (not to mention on Zoom, Teams and Slack), employees and managers alike are whispering about the “great resignation”.

The UK saw a sharp rise in people quitting their jobs in 2021, and one-fifth of UK workers still say they plan to resign in the next year in search of greater job satisfaction and better pay.

If you’re unhappy at work, but leaving your job isn’t an option or there are no appealing alternatives, you may want to try “quiet quitting”. This trend of simply doing the bare minimum expected at work has taken off on TikTok and clearly resonated with young people.

It has also frustrated managers, with some reportedly concerned about their employees slacking off. But quiet quitting is not about avoiding work, it is about not avoiding a meaningful life outside of work.

The last 20 years have seen many people join a global culture of overwork, with unpaid labour becoming an expected part of many jobs. After multiple recessions and a global pandemic, millennials and Generation Z in particular often do not have the same job opportunities and financial security as their parents.

Many young people in professional jobs who expected a relatively straightforward progression in life have struggled with precarious contracts, job uncertainties and trying to get onto the housing ladder. There are those who constantly put in extra hours and go above and beyond at work to try and secure promotions and bonuses – yet still struggle.

Perhaps in response to this disappointment, a recent study by Deloitte found young people are increasingly seeking flexibility and purpose in their work, and balance and satisfaction in their lives. Many young professionals are now rejecting the live-to-work lifestyle, by continuing to work but not allowing work to control them.

File photo. Quiet quitting aims to restore balance where work has crept into personal time. (Photo: iStock/M_a_y_a)

Working at minimal capacity may feel alien. But you (and your employer) shouldn’t fear quiet quitting – it could actually be good for you.

PROTECT AGAINST BURNOUT

Studies have found that work-life balance is linked to mental health in a variety of jobs. And a 2021 survey of 2,017 UK workers by employer review website Glassdoor found that more than half felt they had poor work-life balance.

Quiet quitting aims to restore balance where work has crept into your personal time. It can also help to separate your self-worth from work. When all you have is work, it is hard not to derive your sense of value from it.

Perceived failures at work, such as not getting a promotion or recognition for your achievements, can become internalised as personal failures.

This can increase anxiety, making you worry about how to improve your performance. Often, people respond by doing more work, further exacerbating the vicious cycle of overwork and low self-esteem.

When things get really bad it can result in burnout. In 2019, the World Health Organization officially recognised burnout as an occupational phenomenon characterised by feelings of depletion, exhaustion, cynicism, mental distance from work and poorer performance. Burnout is a significant risk of overwork and can have long-term physical, emotional and mental health impacts.

Burnout is difficult and costly for individuals and employers. Many people with burnout end up taking time off work, or at least working at less than full capacity. Quiet quitting can create a better balance of work and personal life and so could protect against burnout before it happens.

BETTER WORK RELATIONSHIPS

Research shows that happier employees are more productive and engaged. This can even mitigate against feeling distracted or not wanting to be present.

When people are feeling happy they are more likely to be friendlier and open, fostering workplace friendships, which people report as being a significant part of their enjoyment at work. Quiet quitting’s focus on just doing your job also removes the negative impact of constantly feeling in competition with peers.

Having workplace friendships taps in to our basic need for a sense of belonging and can in turn increase loyalty to a workplace and improve job performance. All of this can result in greater productivity, which of course means higher profits.

Quiet quitting could be a “great liberation” in response to the great resignation. People are rejecting overwork and burnout and choosing balance and joy. They are establishing boundaries so their identity and self-value is not tied to their work productivity.

Instead of getting nervous at loss of productivity, employers should take advantage of the quiet quitting movement to support the wellbeing of their staff. Encouraging a better work-life balance will communicate to workers that they are valued, leading to greater engagement, productivity, and loyalty: Everyone wins.

Nilufar Ahmed is Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences at the University of Bristol. This commentary first appeared on The Conversation.

 

I think I can summarise this whole article into one line:

"It is ok to tell your boss that you want to slack and just do bare minimum work"

Edited August 19, 2022 by Starry

[Jman888]

i thought i saw the topic been posted before.

Anyway if want to quit dun go around whining and complaining about your work or your superior.

[mersaylee]

Without the boss knowledge...I've been silently eating tonic at work...ever since I found out that snake can be very tonic...😁

[13177]

So going to work on time and knock off on time without even 1 min more, no show proactive at work and just doing what the minimum requirement of my job scope requires me to do means 'quiet quitting'? 😂

[Inlinefour]

don't need silent quit lah

 

jobs for ft

ns for sinkie

 

only phv and grab food available

 

🙈🙉🙊

[serenade]

39 minutes ago, 13177 said:

So going to work on time and knock off on time without even 1 min more, no show proactive at work and just doing what the minimum requirement of my job scope requires me to do means 'quiet quitting'? 😂

Hasn't this been the norm among the rank and file of the civil service all along? To do minimum, leave on time and not to expect merit increments nor promotions is fair trade.

OTOH if do minimum. Then complain that their colleagues who are harder working are getting promoted, or play the victim of discrimination card for not getting promoted is delusional.

[RadX]

Yes…. They want chiong by all means… taht said, in my dept aldy had 2 heart attacks, 2 semi strokes, 3 PID… yah chiong lo? All still alive And reevaluating approach to work… I had warned them b4

 

or is it becoz I’m in the dept… the silent curse🪦🧟‍♀️😂😂

[13177]

14 minutes ago, serenade said:

Hasn't this been the norm among the rank and file of the civil service all along? To do minimum, leave on time and not to expect merit increments nor promotions is fair trade.

OTOH if do minimum. Then complain that their colleagues who are harder working are getting promoted, or play the victim of discrimination card for not getting promoted is delusional.

True also. If the person wants to do the minimum, if no promotion or merit increments given, cannot complain much. But for some situation, even the person is working hard also doesnt mean will get promote or get merit increment also. There is no fair trade in this world. 😅

[13177]

8 minutes ago, RadX said:

Yes…. They want chiong by all means… taht said, in my dept aldy had 2 heart attacks, 2 semi strokes, 3 PID… yah chiong lo? All still alive And reevaluating approach to work… I had warned them b4

 

or is it becoz I’m in the dept… the silent curse🪦🧟‍♀️😂😂

But not everyone who chiong will ended up with heart attacks, strokes etc lo, all depends on individual body. I got one boss previously got so stress up and chiong in work, never see him got heart attack and stroke le?! I also see some colleagues chiong in their work and so 看不开, still see them well and alive. Lol.

[RadX]

4 minutes ago, 13177 said:

But not everyone who chiong will ended up with heart attacks, strokes etc lo, all depends on individual body. I got one boss previously got so stress up and chiong in work, never see him got heart attack and stroke le?! I also see some colleagues chiong in their work and so 看不开, still see them well and alive. Lol.

True that 

 

so corellationn does not a result of causation? Hahah

 

but so many in the SAME DEPT!

 

go figure 

[DOBIEMKZ]

6 minutes ago, 13177 said:

But not everyone who chiong will ended up with heart attacks, strokes etc lo, all depends on individual body. I got one boss previously got so stress up and chiong in work, never see him got heart attack and stroke le?! I also see some colleagues chiong in their work and so 看不开, still see them well and alive. Lol.

Horses can run fast and hard without complaints but they drop dead immediately on the spot.
Donkeys nih-nih neh-neh when working but they keep going and going and they know when to stop before dying.

[RadX]

2 minutes ago, DOBIEMKZ said:

Horses can run fast and hard without complaints but they drop dead immediately on the spot.
Donkeys nih-nih neh-neh when working but they keep going and going and they know when to stop before dying.

Hahahhahah gd one bro

 

and yes those who do that in the dept… walau… dino liao.. on and on and on

[DOBIEMKZ]

Just now, RadX said:

Hahahhahah gd one bro

Many thanks for the compliment. 🙂

[RadX]

Yesterday there was a docu of the “slacker” generation

 

sign of the times

[ToyotaShuttle]

20 minutes ago, RadX said:

True that 

 

so corellationn does not a result of causation? Hahah

 

but so many in the SAME DEPT!

 

go figure 

common denominator is you.

[Arogab]

Work smart, not work hard. But of cos "not work hard does" not mean you don't work lah

Quit or not quit is 2 way. If you "quiet quit" and the boss don't want you how?

I will always work smart and hard to my standard and then keep my work life balance. If the pressure is too high. I will negotiate for more space and time. Just like last Tuesday I kena full day and I really tell boss that there are just too much "variations and changes". Then I went off for drinking liao.

In my past 2 jobs, I quietly build my team, work my way and take on more things. Such time when I quit, my those 2 bosses were just at a loss. I went away happily with someone bosses knowing my capability and better rewards that's all.

Another thing is maybe someone will tell me "why don't you become your own boss"......That will be another question. End up, you just need to be what you are

[Windwaver]

It's call retirement