Please explain quiet quitting

[Anonymous]

I was out with friends discussing this and it seems there isn't a consensus on what quiet quitting is.

A few think it's "phoning it in". Doing the absolute bare minimum to not get fired. Not having a good work ethic and not producing high quality work.

Other friends think it can be high performers who are creating boundaries and no longer willing to work above and beyond - either due to burnt out or the realization that the extra work didn't get them a promotion or a larger raise than other employees who didn't work as hard.

What's the general take on this?

[Anonymous]

I think it depends on who you ask. I think most employees think it is creating boundaries, not working crazy with above and beyond ie. acting your wage, for the purpose of having better work-life balance. I have seen employers disparage quiet quitting as employees "phoning it in" and being disengaged.

[Anonymous]

I am an employee and I think of quiet quitting more as setting good boundaries and doing what is expected but not necessarily more than that, unless there is good reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was out with friends discussing this and it seems there isn't a consensus on what quiet quitting is.

A few think it's "phoning it in". Doing the absolute bare minimum to not get fired. Not having a good work ethic and not producing high quality work.

Other friends think it can be high performers who are creating boundaries and no longer willing to work above and beyond - either due to burnt out or the realization that the extra work didn't get them a promotion or a larger raise than other employees who didn't work as hard.

What's the general take on this?

It's both

Folks still do high quality work but they work the clock.

The second part is completely true. Folks aren't taking extra work but in addition if a task is at 80% and its 5 instead of taking it home to get it to 100%/perfection quiet quitting folks will submit as complete.

[Anonymous]

I think it's emotionally divorcing your job. You still clock in, do what you must, clock out, but you lose your sense of loyalty, passion, and stop going the extra mile.

[Anonymous]

It used to be called “work to rule”. You do only what is required by the book. It can be common in government when you have a mercurial manager who praises you and promises you all kinds of things if you do all this extra work, and then the next day writes you up for taking a sixteenth minute to go to the bathroom, or for not filling out the TPS sheets in blue ink. Then you do everything by the book after that.

[Anonymous]

Business owner here and I think it's employees phoning it it. Look when you clock out and you see a mess on your way out you should take an extra hour or two to clean it up. Ok so you're off the clock, big deal. We're a family and we do things to help each other out. No one forces me to throw a once per month pizza party (one slice per employee) but I do it anyways. Also, I'm seeing employees not coming in early and helping to set up before they clock in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was out with friends discussing this and it seems there isn't a consensus on what quiet quitting is.

A few think it's "phoning it in". Doing the absolute bare minimum to not get fired. Not having a good work ethic and not producing high quality work.

Other friends think it can be high performers who are creating boundaries and no longer willing to work above and beyond - either due to burnt out or the realization that the extra work didn't get them a promotion or a larger raise than other employees who didn't work as hard.

What's the general take on this?

You mean the 42 page debate in the discussion below?

[Anonymous]

It's also called "Working your wage." SO many of us were told we would "Get ahead!" if we worked longer, harder, etc. but there was little payoff for doing so. Instead, workers are only working a full-time 40 hours a week, and that's it. Trading their time for their salary, instead of working for free outside of that contractual agreement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Business owner here and I think it's employees phoning it it. Look when you clock out and you see a mess on your way out you should take an extra hour or two to clean it up. Ok so you're off the clock, big deal. We're a family and we do things to help each other out. No one forces me to throw a once per month pizza party (one slice per employee) but I do it anyways. Also, I'm seeing employees not coming in early and helping to set up before they clock in.

oooh, the "We're a family" is a big red flag. I also own a business. I don't pay my family. My employees are there for the money. That's it. They may love their work and they may be passionate about our issue, but it is still their time and expertise, being traded for money.
No one wants a pizza party. They want money.

[Anonymous]

Quiet quitting = being lazy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am an employee and I think of quiet quitting more as setting good boundaries and doing what is expected but not necessarily more than that, unless there is good reason.

Where is the "quit" part of what you describe?

I'm also an employee, and I think it's phoning it in, doing the minimum (if that), and not caring if you get fired.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Business owner here and I think it's employees phoning it it. Look when you clock out and you see a mess on your way out you should take an extra hour or two to clean it up. Ok so you're off the clock, big deal. We're a family and we do things to help each other out. No one forces me to throw a once per month pizza party (one slice per employee) but I do it anyways. Also, I'm seeing employees not coming in early and helping to set up before they clock in.

This seems like such a caricature of themes from r/antiwork that it must be a troll post.

But if not - The biggest red flag to me is when management claims the team is a "family." No, you're not. You pay them to work during agreed upon hours, that's it. And they'd much rather go home on time than get a free slice of pizza once a month. Their time is worth much more than $2 a month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Business owner here and I think it's employees phoning it it. Look when you clock out and you see a mess on your way out you should take an extra hour or two to clean it up. Ok so you're off the clock, big deal. We're a family and we do things to help each other out. No one forces me to throw a once per month pizza party (one slice per employee) but I do it anyways. Also, I'm seeing employees not coming in early and helping to set up before they clock in.

Haha. Hilarious joke. "Stay one hour extra (for no money, naturally) and get a single slice of pizza once a month! We're FAMILY!" Good one PP.

[Anonymous]

Quiet quitting is when you quit doing anything outside of your job requirements. Handbook says you work 8:30-5pm? That’s all they get. Someone quits and their responsibilities keep getting thrown at you? Not your job.