‘Quiet quitting’: Who's doing it and why, and is it really a type of 'quitting'?

As companies laid off workers during the first year of the Covid pandemic, those who remained took on extra responsibilities - and sometimes unsustainable workloads. This is one reason for quiet quitting, say experts. (Representational image: Verne Ho via Unsplash)

In the post-pandemic workplace where employees are back at the office - some willingly, others reluctantly - corporates find themselves in a state of uncertainty. Putting in extra hours and taking on ambitious projects during the pandemic months has now put employees in a fix. To relieve some of the pressure, some employees are now embracing ‘Quiet Quitting’, where they stay in their job but don’t take on the extra work that might be causing them stress and affecting their mental health.

“It is an act of establishing healthy boundaries,” says Dr Rachna Khanna Singh, clinical psychologist at Artemis hospitals and former corporate counsellor. “Others may feel the term stands for doing the ‘bare minimum’ but for me, it is akin to taking care of one’s well-being,” she says.

‘Quiet Quitting’: A Misnomer

Some experts feel ‘Quiet Quitting’ is essentially doing what one is getting paid to do without taking on the extra work. It is, therefore, not really ‘quitting’ and hence, a misnomer.

Hemant Sethi, country head, British Safety Council, finds the term misleading. “It conjures an image of someone trying to give up completely on work. I don't think this is the case at all. I think it is unfair to label the idea of working reasonable hours and doing what one is paid to do, as ‘quitting’”, he says.

The question remains - how did ‘Quiet Quitting’ even start?

Also watch: Quiet Quitting after Great Resignation: How to deal with post-pandemic burnout

Origins of ‘Quiet Quitting’

Sreesukhi Sudarshan, global leader talent acquisition at EY- Global Delivery Services, says that the pandemic, which she calls a Black Swan event, kickstarted the trend of ‘Quiet Quitting’.

“During lockdown, a lot of us prioritized our health, wellness and emotional needs above all. As a result, we also reassessed our work-life balance which magnified the ‘Quiet Quitting’ phenomenon,” Sudarshan says.

Dr Rachna echoes her thoughts. She feels that the layoffs and downsizing during the pandemic could have also contributed to the trend. “In 2020, several employees were laid off from their work. As a result, those who were still working had to work twice as hard to not get laid off. Soon, the lockdown was lifted and everything was back to normal. However, the employers still expected these employees to deliver more than their capacity. This led to major stress and dissatisfaction, which has now resulted in this trend,” she adds.

Why Not Quit Officially?

One obvious question one might ask is - why not quit officially instead of going for ‘Quiet Quitting’?

Dr Singh opines that officially quitting might make an employee seem unserious about their job and thus impact their career negatively. “Quiet Quitting, on the other hand, places the onus and responsibility of creating a healthy working environment on the employer.” She feels that quitting officially, which will inevitably result in loss of income, can, in fact, make the employee’s mental health worse. “When you choose ‘Quiet Quitting', you still have a source of income to sustain yourself, and it helps develop work-life balance,” Dr Singh says.

Why Employers Must Do Their Bit

When asked about what employers can do to stop employees from ‘Quiet Quitting', EY’s talent acquisition head Sreesukhi Sudarshan said there is no one answer to this question. “Every individual is different, and their reasons for ‘Quiet Quitting’ can be different. When you get to the root of the reason, it is easy to find a solution. I believe all we need to do is to encourage open conversation with counsellors and coaches, which can be a starting point toward addressing their concerns,” she says.

British Safety Council's Sethi says ‘Quiet Quitting’ is a ‘wake-up call’ for employers to relook at their workplace cultures. “If they fail to address the underlying issues that are driving this trend, chances are it will resurface, maybe under a different namesake,” Sethi adds. Sethi also stresses on the need to have an open channel of communication between the employer and the employee. “Empathy must be shown towards employees who are stressed with their work or show signs of depression. Even small changes in behaviour and attitude will go a long way in alleviating the well-being of a lot of people,” says Sethi.

From a corporate counsellor’s perspective, Dr Singh feels that an employer should always have an employee’s back. “It's not always about the big gestures. Sometimes appreciation and feedback on work could also help in avoiding the employees to quit,” she adds.

How Long Will ‘Quiet Quitting’ Last?

‘Quiet Quitting’ is spreading like wildfire across workplaces. While there is, of course, no absolute way of measuring how deeply the trend has penetrated Indian offices, based on the high number of employees who struggle to find work life balance, it seems that the trend is in full swing.

British Safety Council’s Hemant Sethi feels that the sector which is worst impacted by ‘Quiet Quitting’ is IT/ITES. “It is known that employees in Indian IT companies overwork but that doesn’t mean they are okay with it,” he says.

EY’s Sreesukhi Sudarshan feels that the trend might continue for long if it is left unchecked. “The problem or resistance will occur where the culture is designed to prioritize business over people, where work is considered the only priority,” adds Sudarshan.

“Since people are at the heart of this narrative, we need to acknowledge and accept the needs and make our people be heard and feel supported,” Sudarshan concludes.

The Downside of ‘Quiet Quitting’

Some experts feel that the whole process of ‘Quiet Quitting’ might be counter-productive. “It might become a reason for the employees to lose out on important work opportunities as the employer might give them to others who are willing to do their extra bit,” says Dr Rachna. “Seeing one’s peers get promotions and opportunities could negatively affect one’s self-esteem,” she says.

As a result, it remains up for debate whether one should go for ‘Quiet Quitting’ at all.