Quiet quitting is a rising trend in the dynamics between employer and employee, but while it’s one of the latest topics online, it's actually not an unfamiliar concept at all. Many employers shriek at the thought of their employees “quietly quitting” because they fear their employees are going to be less productive — but the reality is that every employee is at risk of this, whether we like it or not, so it’s important to understand the causation and what we can do about it.

Quiet quitting doesn’t mean that employees dread their jobs and loathe their employers, most of the time it’s a symptom of something else that can (and should) be addressed by the employer. 

Businesses must learn to embrace and support quiet quitting by looking at it in a more positive light. Corporate wellness is a constantly evolving concept that demands employers find new ways to promote a healthy work environment for their team — so how do we tackle this new challenge?

What is quiet quitting, and how to identify it

Simply put, quiet quitting involves employees setting boundaries with their job by working within the limits of their job description (with absolute precision). This may sound strange at first — doesn’t everyone only work within their job description? The short answer is usually “no.”

Think about how many times you or someone in your team has gone “above and beyond” their role. In any workplace, this is typically not the exception to the rule, but instead the expectation — think about how many times you’ve answered emails on nights and weekends or taken on a project that wasn’t your job. It happens a LOT, and if it’s happening to you, it’s probably happening to your employees, too.

Quiet quitting occurs when someone has had enough, and an employee has decided that their employer no longer deserves work from them outside the exact scope of their job description, and they start setting hard boundaries.

There are many different ways someone might approach quiet quitting, and it can be hard to spot because employees still have to do their job correctly.

The most apparent signs of quiet quitting involve someone not working past their designated shift or doing extra work outside the bare minimum. Additionally, they’re likely to take their allotted breaks and utilize all of their sick and vacation time.

But wait - aren’t work boundaries a good thing? So far, quiet quitting doesn’t sound *that* unreasonable.

That’s the key thing, and the answer to “fixing it” might not be what you’re expecting… we’ll get to that in a moment.

Ok, so why are people quiet quitting?

One of the most common reasons an employee starts quiet quitting is because they feel burnt out or are seeking more balance in their lives.

Asking more from someone without additional compensation, job title, or resources can lead to friction that can start the snowball of quiet quitting.

The fastest way to burn out an employee is by having misalignment in salary, recognition, or time commitment required to execute their work.

Some employees thrive on exceeding expectations and are willing to go outside of their job description to do it - but it’s employers' job to recognize this is the exception, NOT the rule.

Additionally, it’s important to realize that even for high-performing employees that love to go “above and beyond,” even they will be at risk of burnout eventually.

In short, employees quiet quit once they feel like they will simply not get more, either financially or otherwise, by working more.

Quiet quitting is actually a good thing

Calling quiet quitting a “good thing” isn’t 100% right, but we got your attention.

The reality is that 99% of the time, it’s actually the employer's fault that someone quiet quits — not the employees!

Quiet quitting is a simple action that employees take to defend themselves once they feel they’ve been pushed too far or they’re mentally and physically exhausted.

Every business needs to prioritize employee wellness to give their employees the best work experience. Quiet quitting doesn’t mean companies need to lower the bar for their employees but focus on employee recovery. 

Your team's mental and physical health needs to be cared for to prevent burnout and job dissatisfaction — which can manifest in many ways, both large and small.

Here’s how you can create the right environment

Your business must fiercely protect its employees' energy by letting them decide where their time and effort are best spent. This means that as the employer, you should lead the charge on making sure that employees prioritize health and recovery.

What does this mean?

Simply put, employers should encourage work/life balance by enforcing communication boundaries, paid time off, and keeping people within their job functions.

Someone taking a few minutes to mentally reset or engage in a movement session is likely to help someone stay more productive throughout the day.

Corporate wellness must help employees consistently focus on their mental or physical health. Not only does this add a necessary human element to your business, but your employees are only human and need to take care of themselves. The better someone’s quality of life, including their health, will bring more benefits to the entire organization than the more strict approach.

Additionally, businesses with clearly defined company values, motivations, and goals give your employees something to relate to and connect with the organization.

Building the emotional bridge between employees and the organization is vital for driving the connection they need to want to be part of the team, and increasing employee engagement is likely to encourage someone to be willing to participate with their team as everyone works towards a collective goal.

Quiet quitting might be the answer!

When it comes to employee wellness, perhaps less means more because an employee with more autonomy is likely to be more productive.

Your corporate wellness program should encourage employees to care for themselves and promote recovery - businesses focusing on employee wellness will avoid people feeling like they must quietly quit their roles.

A healthy work environment is going to continue to grow over time as long employees remain consistently satisfied throughout their tenure. Support your employees in "quitting" the things that don't serve their purpose, energy, or performance at work.