Ideas for employers dealing with the ‘quiet quit’ phenomenon

With all the talk in recent months about “quiet quitting,” it doesn’t seem so quiet anymore. Employees who quietly have decided to just do the bare minimum at work instead of going the extra mile are making a loud statement: Hustle culture has taken a toll on too many workers.

A software engineer in New York made waves back in July by posting a 17-second video on TikTok explaining quiet quitting. It struck a chord with people in all kinds of professions, seemingly giving them license to act on the temptation to slow down a little—or maybe a lot. The trend has ignited feelings among workers of being overworked and underappreciated. So, what should employers do?

Examining the why

Gallup, a global analytics firm, surveyed over 1,500 full-time and part-time U.S. employees in June and found that at least half of the workforce was scaling back.

Why? For one thing, the survey found that since the pandemic, younger workers have been feeling less cared about and like they have fewer opportunities to develop.

The Gallup survey found that during the second quarter of 2022, the proportion of engaged workers was 32%, but the proportion of actively disengaged workers rose to 18%.

“The overall decline was especially related to clarity of expectations, opportunities to learn and grow, feeling cared about, and a connection to the organization’s mission or purpose—signaling a growing disconnect between employees and their employers,” Gallup’s report on the survey says.