1 day Ago By Mid-day
Quiet quitting, an increasingly popular trend, refers to a phenomenon wherein employees disengage with the workplace, and perform only the bare minimum tasks required of them. Quiet quitting can be a worrying trend reflective of deeper issues in the workplace and signify a lack of work-life balance which may lead to a fall in overall performance. A consultant psychiatrist and a business coach delve into the underlying causes, and positive and negative aspects of disengagement, and offer practical advice to managers and leaders to address quiet quitting and foster a supportive work environment for all employees to thrive.
What is quiet quitting?“Quiet quitting refers to doing the minimum requirements of one`s job and putting in no more time, effort, or enthusiasm than necessary,” explains Dr Sakshe Jain, consultant psychiatrist at Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune. A growing workplace trend, quiet quitting is fuelled by several key factors. Primarily, employees feel undervalued due to a lack of recognition and appreciation for their hard work.
This disconnect is exacerbated by low job satisfaction, poor work-life balance and unfair compensation and benefits often resulting from excessive workloads and mismatched expectations.She suggests that the workings and dynamics of the workplace completely transformed due to the pandemic and led to a culture of working from home. “Employees and managers are communicating in different ways through online meetings.
These interactions may feel more formal than the chat sessions that happen in an office because they need to be scheduled instead of being impromptu. Limited meetings and an absence of positive reinforcement can cause a disconnect between employees and management. Limited wage growth may also be a huge factor,” says Jain.
To conclude, quiet quitting is a response to feeling unappreciated, overworked, and perceived lack of growth and unfair treatment.Signs of quiet quittingSigns of quiet quitting can vary, depending on the employee`s reasons for wanting to pull back on work. “If an employee is truly unhappy, the signs may be much more noticeable than someone with the simple goal of wanting a better work-life balance,” poses Jain.
She outlines some tell-tale signs of quiet quitting, “Strict adherence to work hours, minimal contributions beyond basic duties, and noticeable disengagement from team discussions and projects. Employees show a lack of interest in learning and career growth, accompanied by a drop in work performance and emotional detachment from the company culture. Reduced communication, including delayed responses and limited interaction with colleagues and managers, further signals this disengagement.
”Difference between quiet quitting, anxiety and depressionWhile quiet quitting is a workplace behaviour where someone only does the bare minimum required work, without going above and beyond, anxiety and depression are distinct mental health conditions impacting thoughts, feelings, and behaviour across various aspects of life that can manifest with broader symptoms beyond just work performance. “Quiet quitting might be a coping mechanism for someone experiencing anxiety or depression, but it is not the same as either condition itself,” asserts Jain.She elaborates, “Quiet quitting can be a response to workplace stress, burnout, or feeling undervalued, and someone experiencing anxiety or depression might engage in quiet quitting to manage their stress at work.
However, anxiety and depression often have complex underlying causes including genetics, life events, and chemical imbalances in the brain.”The negative and positive aspectsQuiet quitting may not always be a negative symptom and sometimes can be a sign of employees seeking a healthier work-life balance. Shraddha Subramanian, certified business and executive coach, intuition expert, founder and CEO of Sparkling Soul delves into both positive and negative aspects of quiet quitting.
The negative side:Lack of enthusiasm in work leading to bare minimum engagement with work.b. The sense of trust is lost as employees start to not expect anything from the organisation and blame it for negatively impacting their quality of life.
c. Lower team morale which fuels dissatisfaction and resentment.d.
Reduced productivity and innovation owing to employees who disengage and contribute less in terms of creativity and effort, affecting overall business performance.The positive side:Instead of being a part of hustle culture, employees can prioritise their mental and emotional well-being by choosing work-life balance.b.
By setting healthy boundaries, they can avoid long-term stress and burnout.c. Quiet quitting helps signal workplace issues such as unfair workloads, lack of recognition, and ineffective leadership.
It can point the organisation towards areas of improvement.d. It helps employees focus on what they would like to achieve in their career which may not be the case currently.
Practical steps that managers can take to identify and address quiet quittingManagers play a crucial role in identifying and addressing quiet quitting within their teams. “By taking proactive steps, managers can reignite engagement, build trust and create a workplace where employees thrive rather than quietly disengage,” shares Subramanian. She outlines key steps to tackle disengagement effectively:Identify the signs of quiet quittingObserve their behaviours and conduct regular check-ins to gauge employee sentiment and engagement levels.
Monitor declining productivity, reduced enthusiasm, increased absenteeism and lower collaboration.Recognise and appreciate effortsRegularly acknowledge employees’ contributions through verbal praise, rewards or incentives. Also, celebrate milestones and small wins to boost morale and motivation.
Promote work-life balanceRespect boundaries to prevent burnout and excessive stress. Encouraging flexibility with manageable workloads and remote work options is also key to promoting work-life balance.Foster open communicationEncourage honest conversations and actively listen to their challenges and grievances by creating a safe space for employees to voice concerns.
You may also implement anonymous surveys to assess team morale and engagement levels.Support career growth and developmentOffer skill enhancement opportunities through training programs, mentorship and career progression plans. Align roles with employees` strengths and aspirations to enhance job satisfaction.
Strengthen team cultureEnsure employees feel valued, heard and connected to the organisation’s mission. Build a positive work environment through team bonding activities, collaboration and inclusivity.The role of leadership“Leaders have a massive responsibility to engage and thread the team together for exceptional performance.
A leader’s energy can make or break the team,” believes Subramanian. The expert shares strategies that can be adapted by leaders:Be inclusiveBeing inclusive makes the leader to be open and receptive to the ideas of the team and takes the pressure away of having answers to all the questions. This fosters a sense of belonging and helps team bonding and collaboration.
Be vulnerableBeing vulnerable helps the leader to emotionally connect with employees and the employees see the leader as a human too rather than a taskmaster. Keeping the connection alive helps the employees to walk the extra mile if the situation arises.Invest in employee growthIf the leader genuinely focuses on employee growth, it helps to elevate the team’s skills and be future-ready for any new projects and opportunities.
Also, there is a fulfilment with which employees work knowing that their career growth is important to the organisation.Stand with the teamWhile representing the team at the management level, if the leader always stands for the team and represents them as the most valued force of the organisation, it helps to build trust in the employees and team with the leader. Such teams are always excellent performers.
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