Quiet Quitting

What feelings are conjured when you hear the word boundaries?

Some might feel positive associations to things like strong relationships, mental health and wellbeing while others may feel more anxiety inducing associations like guilt or shame. Still others will feel negatively towards the concept, seeing it as frivolous or perhaps belonging to the realm of the overly sensitive.

How you feel about the idea of setting and maintaining boundaries is very likely going to impact how you view the social media phenomenon of quiet quitting.

It refers to the idea of employees doing enough – no more and no less. It is the “silent” pushback against the expectation of going above and beyond, especially without additional compensation. This might come across as shocking, maybe even lazy or ungrateful, especially to people who have made a career – literally – as serial overtimers and vacation eschewers.

But when you take a look at different generations’ approaches to work, it is clear this mindset is falling out of style. Baby boomers’ “live to work” mentality and “workaholic” ethic is infamous. They are, after all, credited with inventing the 50-hour work week. In part, this approach can be traced to a fear of taking too much time off and losing their place on the corporate team, ultimately leading to a work/life imbalance.

Which brings us back to boundaries. According to IPFW/Parkview Student Assistance Program, a boundary is defined as “a limit or space between you and the other person; a clear place where you begin and the other person ends… the purpose of setting a healthy boundary is, of course, to protect and take good care of you”. Baby boomers’ anxiety about being punished for taking “too much” time off is a good example of why boundaries in the workplace are critical for holistic employee wellbeing.

Compared to baby boomers, Gen X and Millennials largely have a “work to live” mentality and both strive to achieve work/life balance, although Millennials are generally credited with being more ambitious and interested in career development than Gen Xers who view their job as a means to enhance the rest of their lives.

The point here is quiet quitting, although a popular buzz word on social media, comes down to boundaries. Gone are the days of undying loyalty to the boss or life-long devotion to a single company. “Employees are fed up with having their labor exploited by businesses who benefit from a culture of overwork without additional compensation,” according to a recent article from NPR.

There’s been backlash to quiet quitting on the internet, largely from bosses who are out of touch with labour demographics and retention best practices. To be clear, quiet quitting isn’t actually about quitting… it’s a punchy misnomer. Experts cited in the above NPR article claim, “it should really be defined as carving out time to take care of yourself.” The only thing being quit is going above and beyond, for free.

Ask yourself, whose expectations need adjusting – the employee or the employer – if someone decides to only meet the expectations outlined in their job description? If the expectation is an employee should have more responsibility, the theory behind quiet quitting dictates said expectation should be reflected in their job description and compensated accordingly.

Hustle culture tells us we must do whatever is necessary to achieve success financially and in our careers. But there is a literal cost to this approach. Eroded mental and physical health, neglected relationships with family and friends, missed opportunities and experiences, burn-out, loneliness. And for what?

It’s perfectly acceptable to love your job and the hustle if that’s what speaks to you. But it’s equally okay to not have any feelings about your job beyond the fact that it pays the bills and enables your lifestyle. One is not better than the other, in fact, one could actively be unhealthy or exploitative, depending on the situation.

In interpersonal relationships when you feel your boundaries have been crossed, it is healthy to establish and communicate them so you can affirm your identity and take care of yourself. So why should it be any different in the professional relationship you give a significant portion of your waking hours to?

Organizations who have accurate job descriptions and appropriate compensation to match the role and responsibilities enjoy a better work culture and have been curious about “quiet quitting” but haven’t experienced it.