What is "quiet quitting" and how you might already be doing it

You may have seen the phrase “quiet quitting” floating around on the internet lately. And if you haven’t had an opportunity to really look into what it is, chances are you’re doing it right now without knowing.

The term “quiet quitting” picked up steam online when TikTok user Zaid Khan, aka @zaidleppelin, posted about it on July 25. Though Khan did not coin the term, his TikTok started a major conversation about the practice, inspiring several other videos and think pieces.

This workplace trend is not about quitting your job by simply not showing up to work anymore. It isn’t an unexpected formal resignation.

Instead, “quiet quitting” refers to an employee simply doing the bare minimum required of their job and not going the extra mile. It is often, if not always, triggered by burnout and a bad work-life balance.

At its nucleus, quiet quitting is an under-ambitious approach to work that doesn’t pay you or treat you well enough to deserve over-ambitious performance.

It’s being called “acting your wage.”

@zaidleppelin On quiet quitting #workreform ♬ original sound – ruby

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“You’re not outright quitting your job, but you’re quitting the idea of going above and beyond at work,” said Khan, describing the practice in his first video.

“You’re still performing your duties, but you’re no longer subscribing to the hustle culture mentality that work has to be your life. The reality is it’s not and your worth as a person is not defined by your labour.”

Khan’s video now stands at 3.4 million views and has been covered by local and international media. Thousands of employees and employers have weighed in on the workplace practice, which is, by no means, new.

“I am a supervisor and I literally say to my employees they don’t pay you enough to care more,” commenter @swayzee17 revealed under a subsequent TikTok from Khan. “I only ask they do their basic job tasks and that’s it.”

So, should not working overtime or overextending yourself at work be considered “quiet quitting”?

Many commenters have pointed out that this was just the way to go about your job before hustle culture took over and allowed employers to break boundaries without repercussion. Workers are now expected to stay overtime in order to make an impression and show their drive, even when they’re not being paid for it.

“Back in the day, it was called a regular work shift,” said TikTok commenter @lovelyjanette3 on a viral video parodying the notion. “It’s been since the rise in tech that employers broke boundaries. Glad to see push back.”

Utah-based career navigation expert Tessa White posted a TikTok on Tuesday discussing how “the 9-to-5 scam” led to quiet quitting. The video has already been viewed nearly one million times.

@jobdoctortessa The 9-5 Scam Fueling Quiet Quitting #fyp #corporatemillennial #genz #businesstrend #quietquitting #worklife #workplace ♬ original sound – Job Doctor Tessa

“The rich are getting a lot richer, with CEOs making so much money, and [those making] $15-$20 an hour can’t even pay their bills,” White explains.

“Millennials, largely making up the workforce, are saying, ‘I’ll work, but I’m not going to give you one bit more than I have to.'”

Where do you stand on the idea of quiet quitting? Is it the workplace revolution we need?

Let us know in the comments below.