Why Quiet Quitting Is A Privilege

Quiet quitting seems to have a chokehold on young workers as of late. But not everyone has the privilege of setting these types of boundaries at work.   

For women and people of color, quiet quitting isn’t the one-size-fits-all solution to work-life balance woes. 

According to a 2021 Gallup poll, women workers in the U.S. report higher levels of job burnout compared to men, mainly due to taking on responsibilities that do not progress their careers.  

Another recent study of retail employees showed that managers undervalue their female workers and are 14% less likely to progress in their careers compared to men. For people of color, this rate is even larger as they must work harder due to workplace bias. 

In fact, when people of color or women try to create boundaries between work and life, they are more likely to be seen as slackers. As a result, this group of professionals are at higher risk of layoffs. 

However, does this mean hustle culture is inevitable for these workers? Not quite. 

Identifying why a person’s job is leading to high dissatisfaction may be the solution.   

If a worker is underpaid, they may need to talk to a manager about what can be done or find work elsewhere. If they are feeling neglected for their accomplishments, workers should advocate for themselves. 

While quiet quitting is a good way to compartmentalize workplace unhappiness, it can lead to even larger problems in the future.