Quiet quitting isn’t new although the phrase has only been adopted in the last few years. However, while the phenomenon isn’t new, there are increasing numbers quitting quietly. Much of this is connected with the recent global economic events, such as the financial crisis and rising energy costs.
In short, people have realized there is more to life than spending all their time at work. While work is important for paying the bills and doing things you enjoy, there is a limit to how much satisfaction a job can and should give you. People are becoming more aware of how important quality time is with themselves and friends. That’s why quiet quitting is popular and likely to become more popular.
The Concept Of Quiet Quitting
In simple terms, quiet quitting doesn’t involve quitting your job. Instead, you decide to quit the never-ending overtime and extras that are put on your plate. People that quietly quit still go to work every day. However, they do no more than they need to.
That means, looking at your contract and making sure you are at work when you should be and you perform the duties that you were employed for. The key factor is you do those duties and nothing more.
You will still be paid but you’ll have more free time and less pressure at work. Best of all, you are still doing the job you were employed to do, you’re just saying no to all the extras that are usually given to you for no additional pay or benefits.
Complications Of Quiet Quitting
The biggest issue with quiet quitting is that the employer loses productivity. You will perform your duties properly but you won’t be doing the extras. That means your boss will need to find others to pass the work on to or even take on additional staff.
They are unlikely to be happy about this and they may even try to force you out of a job. If that happens you’ll want to contact a good constructive dismissal lawyer.
It’s worth noting that quiet quitting has led to quiet firing. This is where employers deliberately make your job as unrewarding as possible, effectively forcing you to quit. Again, this is when you need to speak to a constructive dismissal lawyer.
Other employers have handled the situation better, understanding that employees have the right to just do their jobs and no more. This approach is facilitated by a tight labour market. In other words, there are more jobs than workers: the odds are stacked in your favour.
What To Remember When Quiet Quitting
If you decide to quiet quit then you need to make sure you are doing the bare minimum without any mistakes. That means always being at work on time and leaving at the finish time, not before. You also need to be sure about what is included in your employment contract as you’ll have to fulfil every role listed. It’s the best way of ensuring your employer has no reason to fire you, even if they want to.