Quiet Quitting: What is it, and how to combat it in a positive way

The term quiet (or silent) quitting is currently a trending topic in the business world, but what does it actually mean?

In the wake of the pandemic, it’s no secret that employees have been reconsidering their relationship with their jobs and their employer. This review has not only resulted in what is now known as The Great Resignation, but it’s also altered an employee’s relationship with their current role, and how much they commit to it.

What is quiet quitting?

Quiet quitting is essentially the act of ‘doing just enough’, with more and more people admitting that they have completely ‘checked out’ of their job, and merely do the bare minimum to get by. This often results in low morale, low engagement, and a shift in the workplace dynamic as other members of the team work harder to pick up any slack.

Maria Kordowicz, an associate professor in organisational behaviour at the University of Nottingham, reported to The Guardian that the rise in quiet quitting is linked to a noticeable fall in job satisfaction. Further to this, Gallup’s global workplace report for 2022 showed that only 9% of workers in the UK were engaged or enthusiastic about their work. It’s no surprise, then, that quiet quitting is on the rise and affecting workspaces nationally.

The good and the bad…

Whereas the term ‘Quiet quitting’ can seem quite abrasive, there are some connotations to it that should be applauded and encouraged. The act of leaving your work at work, as an example, is essential for cultivating a healthy work/life balance. There are also ‘quiet quitting’ advocates who state rather than applying the bare minimum, they use the term to encapsulate a healthy relationship with the confines of their job role, ensuring they never take on too much work, or work that isn’t theirs to do.

There is most certainly a fine balance to be struck here, and the key to understanding what your teams fundamentally want and need in order to feel happier and more fulfilled in their work could lie with engagement.

How to combat the growing trend of quiet quitting

Knowing what your employees want and need can be tough, but a good place to start would be to look at what you currently offer your teams as their employer. More and more employees are putting stock in their employer’s core values, and would prefer to work for companies that believe in the same things they do (climate change, equality and diversity, workplace wellbeing). Employees are also favouring roles that have a salary bolstered with benefits that are accessible and useful.

By ensuring you offer your teams the full package, your company will become more appealing to not just existing employees, but talent on the hunt for a new role, too.

Offering benefits that have the power to change your teams’ everyday wellbeing outside of work holds the key a really positive shift in your workplace culture, and ensuring you have a benefits package that does good for your people and for the planet is a great place to start. It IS possible to offer the two together, and our team would be more than happy to show you how Lumina could help boost your workplace wellbeing whilst reducing your carbon footprint!

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