Quiet Quitting:
Definition, Uses & Comparison

Quiet quitting is a workplace trend where employees limit their work to only what is required by their job description, effectively disengaging from tasks beyond the bare minimum. It describes employees who continue to fulfill their job requirements but do not take initiative, work overtime, or volunteer for extra projects or responsibilities. The term gained widespread popularity through TikTok in 2022, partly inspired by the Chinese hashtag #TangPing, which means "lay flat" and was used to protest against the country's culture of overworking.

Quiet quitting is characterized by employees putting in the minimum amount of effort to keep their jobs while not going the extra mile for their employer. This might mean not speaking up in meetings, not volunteering for tasks, refusing to work overtime, and potentially greater absenteeism. The phenomenon emerged prominently during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused many people to reassess how they thought about work and work-life balance.

Related terms: employee disengagement, quiet firing, work-life balance, The Great Resignation

It is difficult to know whether quiet quitting is real or just an internet phenomenon. However, quiet quitting has been discussed extensively on TikTok and in traditional media, which suggests that it is probably real. According to a June 2022 Gallup survey of employees, at least 50% of them fit the description of quiet quitters. Gallup asked several questions related to worker engagement, and only 32% of workers were considered engaged, while another 18% were disengaged.

The remaining 50% were not engaged in their work but were not vocal about it, leading Gallup to speculate that these would be considered quiet quitters. A 2024 follow-up poll by Gallup found similar numbers, with worker engagement hitting a record low at just 31% of workers considered engaged and 17% actively disengaged. According to Gallup, quiet quitters have a lot in common with those employees who are "not engaged": they may not be actively disengaged, but they are psychologically detached from the workplace and are not working to the best of their abilities.

When an employee engages in quiet quitting, they stop going above and beyond for their employer and simply do the bare minimum possible to avoid getting fired. In practice, this might mean:

• Not volunteering for extra work, leadership roles or responsibilities
• Not speaking up in meetings unless addressed directly
• Not responding to emails or messages outside of work hours
• Turning down work outside of their job description
• Becoming isolated from the rest of the team and avoiding social events
• Taking a more-than-usual number of sick days (absenteeism)

Signs that an employee could be a quiet quitter can include not attending meetings, arriving late or leaving early, a reduction in productivity, less contribution to team projects, not participating in planning or meetings, a lack of passion or enthusiasm, more negativity, and employees becoming less social.

Several factors contribute to employees quiet quitting. According to research and surveys, there are 6 primary causes:

• Ineffective leadership and poor management (the #1 reason employees disengage)
• Lack of recognition for contributions and achievements
• Frustrations over compensation and pay inequity
• Poor work-life balance, excessive workloads, and long hours leading to burnout
• Lack of growth opportunities and career advancement
• Toxic work culture characterized by micromanagement, favoritism, or lack of support

The pandemic brought on a focus on worker burnout and work-life balance. In 2020, layoffs and work-from-home changes helped propel many into thinking about the time they were spending at work. The Gallup survey points out that stress is the main reason workers feel disengaged. According to one survey, the majority of quiet quitters said their manager affects their work ethic (57%), as does their mental health (55%) and compensation (51%).

Quiet quitting is by definition a subtle and almost invisible phenomenon, which means it can be difficult to prove that it is happening in your workplace. There are 4 key methods to help spot quiet quitting:

• Employee engagement surveys: Sending out regular employee engagement surveys can help spot any widespread disengagement that could indicate the presence of quiet quitters, though those who are not engaged at work are less likely to fill in surveys
• Productivity metrics: When employees engage in quiet quitting, productivity usually drops, so tracking productivity metrics against your organization's baseline can help spot quiet quitting as it happens
• Company bottom line: In extreme cases, too many employees being disengaged from work can impact a business's profitability
• Internal promotions: People who are quiet quitting are usually not chosen for promotions or new opportunities because they are not seen as putting in the extra effort required

Usually, employers know when employees are engaging in quiet quitting from a simple feeling that something is not right. If you feel that any of your employees do not seem like themselves, it might be worth checking in with them.

While quiet quitting is a worrying trend that could have a big impact on productivity in your organization, there are several things that HR and leadership teams can do to mitigate it. Leaders can prevent disengagement by talking to employees and gathering their feedback and learning what makes them feel appreciated. They should also make sure workloads are manageable and help employees maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Also important is assisting employees in managing stress. Conversations about career planning and training opportunities are also important to keep the employee engaged. Recognition programs—informal and formal—should be implemented and fostered. Leaders should also strive to live the organization's values and vision and function as a model for direct reports.

Leadership development consultants Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman advised business leaders to use open dialogue and be clear about expectations to make team members feel important. Through their research of data from more than 113,000 leaders, they found that the most critical factor is trust. When direct reports trusted their leader, they also assumed that the manager cared about them. According to their research, there are 3 behaviors linked to trust: developing positive relationships with superiors, delivering on promises, and having expertise in the job.

There are 5 effective strategies HR and leadership can implement to prevent quiet quitting:

1. Work on manager engagement first: Only one in three managers is engaged at work, and since managers come into contact with employees every day, it is vital to address this to stop the disengagement from spreading through the ranks
2. Create a sense of purpose: Ensure every employee understands the reasons behind their role and how their work connects to the goals of the organization as a whole
3. Reward and recognize achievements: Regularly recognize and reward good work from your employees, as three-quarters of employees would be satisfied with a simple 'thank you' for their everyday efforts
4. Respect boundaries: Every employee needs to properly switch off from work when they go home, and persistently ignoring your employees' boundaries by asking them to stay late, calling them after hours, or expecting them to take on extra work for no extra pay could mean they end up disengaging from their roles
5. Offer fair compensation and benefits: Fair and equitable pay remains a crucial motivator for both star performers and silent quitters, and offering benefits such as health insurance, employee assistance programs, and financial wellness tools can help employees prioritize their well-being

Quiet quitting is often compared to 3 related workplace concepts:

Quiet Quitting vs. Quiet Firing

Quiet quitting involves employees doing the bare minimum to keep their jobs, while quiet firing is when employers subtly incentivize employees to leave the organization. In quiet firing, a manager may remove responsibilities, status, and connections to others in an effort to get the employee to quit. In legal terms, this is also called constructive discharge. Sometimes the quiet firing process is not deliberate—poor managers can be responsible because they make mistakes such as not making performance feedback a regular occurrence, withholding development opportunities, or not giving enough individualized recognition.

Quiet Quitting vs. The Great Resignation

The Great Resignation refers to the wave of employees who actively quit their jobs between April 2021 and April 2022, when 71.6 million people left their jobs (averaging 3.98 million people quitting monthly). In contrast, quiet quitters remain employed but disengage from their work. Some workers frustrated by the contrast between home life and work quit their jobs in the Great Resignation, while quiet quitters chose to stay employed while putting focus on things outside the office.

Quiet Quitting vs. Employee Disengagement

Employee disengagement is a broader concept describing workers who are psychologically detached from the workplace. Quiet quitting is a specific behavioral manifestation of disengagement where employees actively limit their work to job description requirements only. According to Gallup, quiet quitters have a lot in common with employees who are "not engaged": they may not be actively disengaged, but they are psychologically detached from the workplace and are not working to the best of their abilities.