Maggie Perkins, an educator, and advocate from Georgia, “quite resigned” from the classroom after almost ten years on the job. While she would continue in her current role, she would just put in the required amount of time each week as per her contract. Exactly what it says.
“No matter how much I hustle as a teacher, there isn’t a progression system or recognition motivation,” Perkins told TIME. I knew I was going to burn out as a teacher if I didn’t leave my position quietly.
By posting her story on TikTok, Perkins becomes part of a broader online community of employees who have adopted a “silent leaving” mentality—the idea of no longer going above and beyond and instead performing simply what is required of them.
Following a worldwide epidemic, workers began rethinking their employment options, exploring the feasibility of working from home more often, cutting down on hours on Fridays, and even quitting their jobs altogether (the “Great Resignation”), all of which contributed to the current social movement. “Quiet quitting isn’t just about leaving on a job, it’s a step toward quitting on life,” Huffington, creator of the Huffington Article and CEO at Thrive, said in a popular LinkedIn post.
Firm leaders and workplace experts contend that working less could feel good in the short-term, but might hurt your career and the company as “silent quitters” defend their decision to take a step back from work.
When employees quietly leave, why do employers care?
There is widespread anxiety among business leaders about the economy, which has increased their focus on productivity. According to data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the productivity of nonfarming workers in the United States fell 2.5% between the second quarter of 2018 and the second quarter of 2017, marking the worst yearly decline in productivity since 1948. Some companies even go so far as to limit workers’ keyboard use in an effort to improve efficiency. Concerns over general productivity have led major tech businesses like Google to hint that they may delay recruiting and perhaps lay off employees.
According to Johnny C. Taylor Jr., president and chief executive officer of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the largest HR society in the world, working from home has led to widespread burnout, Zoom fatigue, and made it more difficult for some employees to take breaks from the office. I can think of no American business that is aware of the need of providing workers with time off to recover from burnout and stress.
When his staff of over 500 people starts to feel overwhelmed, CEO Taylor encourages them to take a break, but he doesn’t think that encouraging employees to quietly go is in anyone’s best interest. I get the idea, but the language throws me off, he adds. To quote an old saying: “Anyone who informs their company boss they are a silent quitter is likely to not have a job for very long.” The CEO of a job-searching website, Gergo Vari, agrees that the decision will not benefit workers in the long run. It’s possible that “anytime you stifle your own voice in an organization, you’re robbing yourself of the ability to improve that institution,” his spokeswoman argues.
Acting on workplace unhappiness may have far-reaching consequences for employees beyond just their own jobs. According to Gallup’s survey, “The State of the Global Workplace,” job discontent is at an all-time high, and disengaged employees lose the global economy $7.8 trillion annually in lost productivity.
Employees and corporate management may get at odds over the choice to deviate from “hustle culture,” and coworkers may become distant if they are expected to make up the slack. According to Jim Harter, Chief Scientist for Gallup’s workplace management practice, “whether employees feel that their colleagues are devoted to quality work may impact the effectiveness of the business and produce conflict inside teams and organizations.”
Pay inequality and the generation gap
According to Deloitte’s 2022 Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey, there may be generational differences between Boomers and Gen-X executives who have subscribed to the hustle ‘rise and grind’ mentality to climb the corporate ladder and younger generations who tend to prioritize a better work-life balance. The poll also indicated that financial security is a major worry for Gen Z and millennials, with salary issues being the leading cause of job turnover among this group over the last two years.
Millennial software engineer Shini Ko admits that she and many of her peers are in the profession for the money, but that she also places a high value on taking time away from work when it’s necessary. The concept of “silent leaving” does not resonate with her as an appropriate way to establish limits. Ko argues that the common perception of work-life balance as equating to leaving one’s job is harmful. Please let’s just call it what it is. The simple fact is that it is effective.
Ko operates the small-scale vegetable farm Bao Bao Farm outside of regular business hours. She is aware that her agricultural philosophy is unique. Given that working on the farm is what really lights my fire, I have an inner drive to put in more time and effort.
Harter from Gallup concurs that enthusiasm is a key component in determining both job satisfaction and the willingness to accept a pay cut. When asked how much money they made, most people would say how happy they were with their jobs. Being disinterested makes you settle for less.
Instead, try ‘loudly insisting’
Lensa’s CEO, Vari, has been making an effort to prevent “silent quitters” among his crew of over 200 people.
He claims that his company has few silent defections because he cherishes workers’ moments of resistance, in addition to giving remote work flexibility and on-site amenities at the office. The key, according to his spokesman, is making workers feel safe enough to raise their problems openly before they resort to “quietly” modifying their pace at work.
He argues that businesses should “make an effort to empower individuals to have a voice in their own destiny.” It’s important to me that they stay, therefore I’ll risk seeming foolish if it means they’ll stay.
The term “loudly persisting,” coined by Vari, refers to the action of workers who are empowered to speak out about how their business may better support their objectives. To quote the author: “When you persistently speak out, you feel like you have a voice and a stake in the direction the firm is heading.”
It’s possible that some who give up quietly might benefit from a different option.
Professional coach Allison Peck said she was never one to “quietly resign.” In fact, she was able to buy her first house because she always went above and above in her medical device sector employment. While this is the case now, it wasn’t always so. For example, her first post-graduate job forced her to work 14-hour days, six days a week, and she was let off after a year.
Consider carefully the people you go out of your way for to see whether they are worth it. Peck adds, “It works sometimes, and it doesn’t work other times.” Employees who don’t have a connection to their job or their superiors are more likely to “silent resign,” in her opinion. Any worker who is contemplating giving up quietly should listen to her advice and think about taking a more daring step.
Peck believes that one way to overcome the temptation to quietly leave their job is to look for a new one with a different boss, a different team, or a different firm. A person may feel compelled to go to great lengths because of it.
