Is Quiet Quitting Real? Here’s What to Know

Have you heard of the phrase “quiet quitting” lately? It’s the new term for when an employee slowly starts to pull away from their work, looks for new opportunities, and eventually leaves their place of employment.

Quiet quitting is not a new phenomenon, although the term itself might feel “fresh.” Here is everything you need to know about quiet quitting, what to do if you find your employees quit quitting, and how to prevent quiet quitting in your workplace.

What is Quiet Quitting?

Quiet quitting was somewhat defined by Business Insider back in September of 2022 as “not depleting yourself at work and doing just what’s expected – or maybe even less.” A majority of employees tend to view quiet quitting as doing the bare minimum that is required by their contracts. Other employees view quiet quitting as setting healthy work boundaries. 

According to Veris Insights, 1 in 5 employees that are familiar with the practice are currently engaging in the practice. Their reasons behind their actions include:

• Dissatisfaction at work
• Not engaged in/at work
• Experiencing burnout too often
• Their workplace is lacking

Many of the reasons that your employees may be participating in quiet quitting may also align with a high employee turnover. 

Are Your Employees Quiet Quitting?

Just because your employees know what quiet quitting is, doesn’t mean that they are participating in the practice. In reality, when quiet quitting is done correctly, it’s highly unlikely that you, the employer, will notice. As quiet quitting focuses less on “slacking off” and more on meeting expectations, but not exceeding expectations, your business shouldn’t be overly affected by the employee quitting.

This does not mean that you can’t notice when an employee has decided to quiet quit. Here are a few signs that you can look out for:

• Lack of sociability, they are opting out of after-work activities and communicating less with their coworkers outside of strictly work-related business.
• Increased negativity, their overall attitude has taken a negative turn. You would notice more cynicism towards work and clearer communication about their ability.
• Overall disinterest, they may be completing their work, but they have already “checked out” and no longer hold interest in what they are doing.

Having frequent conversations, even casual conversations, with your employees can help you identify when an employee is quiet quitting.

How to Prevent Quiet Quitting in Your Business

Part of preventing quiet quitting is having a good repertoire with your employees. When they feel dissatisfied with their job, they’ll feel more comfortable discussing their problems with you and you can then take adequate steps to help. 

You will also want to allow your employees to have some type of autonomy in their position. They should have the ability to make decisions regarding their position and should not need to be micromanaged to accomplish their tasks. This allows them to feel valued and more fulfilled by their job. 

Next, you’ll want to instill a sense of purpose. They should know that their work contributes to the business as a whole and is valued by the team – and themselves. When employees feel that they are truly appreciated and assisting in a business, they have more passion for completing their tasks beyond “working for a paycheck.”

Finally, you need to keep your employees motivated and engaged in their work. This both refers to a performance and social aspect. Encourage your employees to communicate and build relationships, reach out and see what may be holding them back from connecting with the business and other team members. 

Want to learn more about fostering a healthy environment for your employees as a small business? Connect with a ModVenturesLLC advisor today.