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Quiet Quitting and the Self-Care Revolution

Let me ask you… Have you considered quiet quitting?

If you have, you’re likely among the majority. In fact, a recent Gallup investigation determined that at least half the US workforce is currently made up of quiet quitters.

What is quiet and quitting and why do people do it? Why is it suddenly such a big thing?

In this article, we’ll discuss:

What is quiet quitting?
What led to the rise of quiet quitting?
What are the potential drawbacks of quiet quitting for organizations?
For employees, what are the potential benefits of quiet quitting?
For employees, what should I consider before making the decision to quit quietly?
What can you do about quiet quitting
How to use a quiet resignation as an opportunity for personal growth
Are there any legal implications of a quiet resignation?

What is Quiet Quitting?

Quiet quitting means deciding to no longer go above and beyond the expectations of your job. That may mean no more long hours, not checking email after 5 PM, not taking on responsibilities outside your job description, and so on.

Is quiet quitting the same as giving notice? No. In fact, the idea is that it’s done quietly, and there is no immediate plan to actually leave one’s job (although many quiet quitters are also in the process of job hunting). There’s typically no announcement, simply a shift in decision-making. The person is still committed to meeting the basic expectations of their role – goals, daily tasks, overall responsibilities, etc. – but that is where it ends.

Essentially, quiet quitting is an issue of disengagement. There’s nothing wrong with setting professional boundaries and choosing not to compromise one’s own values or well-being. In fact, doing so often helps people feel more engaged and fulfilled at work. The issue with quiet quitting – for both employees and employers – is this disengagement. When someone is disengaged, creativity, problem-solving, motivation, enthusiasm, initiative, and so on suffer. This can be detrimental to the success of the team or organization, and to the individual’s overall well-being.

What Led to the Rise of Quiet Quitting?

As Gallup reported, a huge part of the problem is broken brand promises. Specifically, corporate promises of supporting employees, cultivating healthy workplace cultures, prioritizing well-being, empowering flexibility, etc. When these benefits are promised, but not delivered, that creates a schism with employees that leads to disengagement.

Does that mean it’s all leadership’s fault? It can be, but I believe there’s more to it than that.

Yes, sometimes leadership will “talk the talk” with no real intention of following through. Other times, outside factors come into play. Maybe the organizational support isn’t there for leaders to be able to implement these promises. Sometimes economic factors will take priority. Other times it could be a global pandemic. Things happen and, unfortunately, employee engagement efforts often take the hit.

If we look at the past two decades of world events, we’ve lived through 9/11, the height of the War on Terror, the Great Recession of 2008, the Covid Pandemic of 2020, and several other crises throughout, all of which have disrupted the way we work, in one way or another.

It’s understandable, in many cases, that employee engagement might slide down the list of priorities when faced with such massive upheavals. However, if the wave of quiet quitting tells us nothing else, it should tell us that we need to start treating engagement with the same urgency and importance. Disengagement at work may not be the sudden explosion that Covid was, but it is a slow-burning issue that will have dire consequences… if it hasn’t already.

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What are the Potential Drawbacks of Quiet Quitting for Organizations?

As a leader or manager, if members of your team are quiet quitting, you may see:

Reduced productivity
Higher turnover
Less collaboration
Less communication
Avoidance of conversations
Self-isolation
Lack of enthusiasm or motivation
Unwillingness to take on extra work
Unwillingness to participate in social events

If your team has experienced interpersonal issues in the past, you may also see a reduction in these problems. That isn’t a good thing. When people disengage from work, they often disengage from relationships as well. While that may seem like a good thing when it comes to employees who previously engaged in a lot of conflict, it’s not if it’s a sign of quiet quitting. Unhealthy conflict and interpersonal issues can actually be one of the driving forces behind quiet quitting. If you see a drop in these issues without any other explanation, it’s time to get curious.

In fact, any time you see a noticeable change in your team or a team member, it’s time to sit up and get curious.

For Employees, What are the Potential Benefits of Quiet Quitting?

If quiet quitting is driven by disengagement, if it clearly isn’t a pleasant experience, then why are people doing it?

If you are in a situation where you find yourself disengaged from your work, or your work environment is negatively impacting your well-being (for example, if the culture isn’t inclusive or it is unsafe to speak your truth at work), quiet quitting can have benefits.

I strongly urge you to explore other options first, however. Have a conversation with your boss or with HR. This isn’t just for the benefit of the organization, but for your benefit as well. You deserve to feel good about the work that you do, to feel proud of your contributions, to feel seen and respected. It’s normal and even healthy for work to challenge us at times, but it shouldn’t drain you.

Also consider how you’ve been showing up at work. This is not about taking on the blame for a problematic environment, but about taking unconditional responsibility for how you choose to show up for yourself and others. Is there something you can shift?

Be aware that the decision to quiet quit may have drawbacks for you as well. While you likely can’t be fired if you’re still committed to the basic requirements of your role, there is the concept of quiet firing to consider. Ultimately, you want to ensure you’ve done your due diligence – for yourself and your team – before deciding to quiet quit.

If you’ve explored other options and still find you’re unhappy in your work environment, quiet quitting may be helpful to you.

The benefits of a quiet, unannounced resignation may include:

More mental and spiritual energy to actively consider what you truly want
Time and energy to pursue another job, or to pursue career development options
Reduced anxiety around professional relationships or expectations

It’s really important to note that any benefits you experience will likely be short-lived if you’re in an environment that is truly draining. The main benefits will be extra time and energy. Use that to work on getting yourself out of that environment. During this time, you may even consider other things you can quiet quit in your life :)

There is one other possible benefit, which is the possibility that your shift will signal to leadership that a change needs to happen. This can happen in a pro-active environment where the organization wants to do well in terms of employee well-being.

For Employees, What Should I Consider Before Making the Decision to Quit Quietly?

As mentioned above, there can be drawbacks and repercussions related to your decision to quiet quit. Prepare yourself for that possibility.

Also prepare yourself for difficult conversations. The ideal outcome of quiet quitting is a shift in your work environment that empowers engagement. A good leader will embrace the opportunity to connect with you and learn how to create a better environment for you to thrive.

The most important thing for you to consider is what you actually do want from your ideal work environment. When I coach clients who are unhappy at work, I often encourage them to create a vivid vision and even a vision board of what they want. This is a key step as it helps you get clarity on what you value in a workplace, which empowers you to find ways to create it, or advocate for it in your current place of employment, or to seek it out elsewhere.

Quiet quitting must have an end goal. Remaining in a prolonged state of disengagement isn’t healthy for your well-being. You deserve better. Get clarity on what you do want. Ideally, you would do this before quiet quitting. However, if you find that your unhappiness at work is clouding your ability to get this clarity, you can pursue it afterwards. Just make sure it is very high on your post-quiet quitting to-do list.

What Can You Do About Quiet Quitting?

If you are in a leadership role, you need to prioritize employee engagement. Here are 4 things you can start doing now to create a powerful shift:

Get curious.

Why are people feeling disengaged? Is it multiple people, or just one? What has changed (or not changed) that may be driving this behaviour? What promises – from you, or the organization – have not been fulfilled?
Recognize what is, and isn’t, quiet quitting.

Quiet quitting is not slacking off. It’s not insubordination, and it’s not laziness. It’s a decision to no longer go above and beyond the core expectations of the job. Going by Gallup’s research, this is most commonly related to disengagement, which means it’s being driven by the organizational culture. We can never change what we refuse to accept. Recognize what the issue truly is and you’ll be well placed to do something about it.
Consider adopting an approach of servant leadership.

Servant leadership understands that the primary role of a leader is to provide resources and remove roadblocks in order for employees to succeed and thrive. It is an approach perfectly suited to create engagement because its whole focus is the success of the individual as the driving force of organizational success.
Commit to inclusivity.

People cannot engage without a sense of belonging. More and more organizations are starting to recognize the power of inclusivity, and what it truly means to be inclusive leaders. Commit to understanding where this may be lacking, where you may have blindspots, and how you can cultivate true inclusivity in your team.

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How to Use a Quiet Resignation as an Opportunity for Personal Growth

When you are in any environment – personal or professional – that is draining, it can impact all areas of your life and well-being.

If you’ve made the decision to quiet quit, choose to see it as your opportunity to take a step back and evaluate where you are at in all areas of your well-being. What do you need to say yes and no to? What boundaries might you need to set? What areas of joy and fulfillment might need greater investment?

Much of the time, we get back what we put in. If you’re investing your energy in draining pursuits while not investing in the things that fuel you, you will end up multiplying that draining experience.

We spend so much time at work. It can be really hard to get clarity on what we truly value when we’re being drained by such a huge part of our life. If you are currently quiet quitting, or considering that route, there are 3 principles I encourage you to explore to help you in your personal growth journey: the concept of Ikigai, the practice of radical self-acceptance, and the concept of non-attachment.

Are There any Legal Implications of a Quiet Resignation?

First and foremost, it should be noted that I am not a lawyer or legal expert, and cannot provide professional legal advice.

That said, in my experience with businesses of all sizes, both as an employee and a coach, so long as an employee is still meeting the expectations of their job, is not actively engaged in insubordination, and isn’t otherwise violating the terms of their employment, there really aren’t any legal implications to quiet quitting (again, not a lawyer, please consult with a legal professional if you have concerns).

However, as a coach, if you feel that you are a leader and have a quiet quitting situation in your workplace, I strongly encourage you to put your primary focus on why that is.

If you are an employee considering quiet quitting, make sure you are clear on the core responsibilities of your role and the terms of your employment. You deserve an engaging work environment. You don’t want to inadvertently make the situation worse for yourself.

Ultimately, quiet quitting should be recognized as a valid response to unhealthy expectations in the workplace, regardless of where those expectations are coming from. The good news about that is that, most of the time, this is a solvable problem, if we all choose to approach the issue from a place of courage, curiosity and compassion.

If you are struggling with an unhappy work environment, or would like guidance in cultivating an engaging work environment, I invite you to connect with me.

Key Takeaways:

Quiet quitting is primarily an issue of disengagement and it is up to leadership to cultivate an environment of belonging, inclusivity, trust and openness.
Whether you are in the role of employee or employer, approach your circumstances with curiosity; what is the core issue and what can you shift?
If you make the decision to quiet quit, do so with an end in mind; use the mental and emotional energy you save to get clarity on what you truly want, and start taking steps toward it.

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How Melissa Dawn is inspiring thousands

Melissa Dawn guides executives and high-level leaders to step into their full power and become the leaders they know they are meant to be. She is a renowned executive & leadership coach, keynote speaker, workshop leader, bestselling author, master practitioner of energy medicine and the founder of CEO of Your Life. Having transitioned from two decades of corporate experience to building her own business, Melissa has a strong understanding of what it means to truly thrive in our professional lives in a way that not only complements our personal lives, but lifts up our full life experience and that of the people around us. As a Master Certified Coach, Melissa takes a holistic, values-led approach to guiding executives and high-level leaders to become agents of positive change by connecting with their inner leaders. Through innovative workshops & coaching programs, Melissa works with individuals, teams and organizations and has helped thousands become the CEOs of their personal and professional lives with confidence, success and joy.