Is Quiet Quitting So Bad? It Depends On Who You Ask

Since its headline-grabbing emergence over the last few weeks, “quiet quitting” has stirred up controversy from both leaders and employees. 

Quiet quitting refers to the idea that employees do their work adequately, with little commitment or loyalty to their employer other than meeting their workplace expectations.  

Leaders have proclaimed that this is the end of productivity – without totally dedicated employees that want to go above and beyond, how are businesses supposed to reach their bottom line and innovate?   

However, employees are pushing back against this idea, stating that quiet quitting means employees are still doing their work with more firmly established work-life boundaries.   

“Quiet quitting isn’t just about quitting on a job, it’s a step toward quitting on life,” wrote Arianna Huffington, cofounder of the Huffington Post and founder of Thrive Global, on a LinkedIn post.   

According to Huffington, quiet quitters may believe they are protecting themselves from burnout, but finding meaningful work is a better deterrent.  

Still, the definition of quiet quitting has widely ranged. Some of these outspoken business leaders assume it’s doing the bare minimum, but employees say it’s simply a way to untangle work from their personal lives while still maintaining their responsibilities.   

“You’re not coasting,” said Brian Gray, a web developer. “You are doing precisely the right amount of work.”