Quiet quitting isn't new
Quiet quitting articles are all the rage right now, but quiet quitting isn’t new. In the 90s, when I joined the workforce, we called it slacking, and it became a Gen-X ethos, along with grunge, Henry Rollins’ poetry and call waiting.
Slacking and slacker culture was, essentially, doing the minimum work to justify your paycheck. We made entire movies about slacking - Reality Bites, Clerks, Singles, Say Anything. As Gen-Xers, we were uninterested in the money-driven Yuppie corporate culture of the late 70s and 80s that our parents were part of, and that kept them constantly working for someone else - at a bank, or a corporation, or a factory - something that to us felt soul-crushing (see, Lloyd Dobbler).
Every generation has had some variation of slacking. But the choice to quietly quit or to overwork is a false one. What this paradigm gets wrong is that work doesn’t have to be a binary spectrum with overwork and burnout at one end and quiet quitting or slacking at the other.
There’s a different paradigm to consider; one in which people find joy and meaning in their work. One that encourages boundaries and flexibility and that acknowledges that work is only one facet of a fulfilling life.
What is really at the root of quiet quitting is not quitting. What many of these employees are quietly doing is setting appropriate boundaries on work, so that work represents only part of their day. The pandemic has made them fully understand that work is only one part of a fulfilling life. That’s healthy.
What if instead of calling this quiet quitting and blaming employees for working less, we focused instead on creating more healthy workplaces? The needed conversation is not about quiet quitting, but instead let’s ask what employers will do to create work cultures that honor the people who do the work?
What does such a workplace look like? Excellent question!
It compensates its staff well. “Well” does not mean a living wage. We all know you can barely live on that. Well compensated also does not mean adequately compensated. It means compensated well for the work that is done so that employees have the economic security they need.
It honors boundaries. As in, when you say your work hours are 9-5, work does not email or Slack or DM you outside those hours unless there is a true emergency. Of course, this also means that YOU need to uphold those boundaries as well by not doing the same to others, and by not making yourself available when you are not available. As Ms. Lauren Hill said, “How you gonna win when you ain’t right within?” Make sure you’re honoring your boundaries before asking others to do so.
It encourages time off. We are all better workers when we rest. Rest requires daily time away from work, and it also requires time off for vacation, rest, mental health days, or just because you need it.
It allows staff to grow and develop in their positions. Like plants, people need room and encouragement to grow. The right soil, a little water, correct placement for the best amount of light. Staff at healthy workplaces are encouraged and helped to grow and learn and develop new skills.
It encourages and cultivates curiosity. I’ve noticed that the very best staff tend to ask me questions such as, “Tell me more about how you think about strategy” or “I wonder what would happen if we approached something this way” or “I was thinking about this, and….” Curiosity so often leads to better results and more fulfilled staff. Workplaces that encourage and promote curiosity are probably also workplaces that are more creative, interesting places to work.
It has a culture of feedback. Candid, kind feedback is truly one of the best gifts you can give someone, but in order for the feedback to be useful and seen as the gift it is, workplaces must create a culture of feedback. This means training staff in giving and receiving feedback and having a regular feedback process for everyone, including upper management and the C-suite. Feedback can happen through a 360 process, but it’s best if it’s given as close as possible to the situation. And, good feedback cultures ensure that positive feedback is given just as often - if not more often - than less positive feedback.
It reiterates respect for its workers. Discouraging micromanaging, giving employees flexibility in how they use their time, saying thank you, giving people your full attention. In big ways and in small, healthy workplaces show employees that they respect them, and when you feel respected, you’re happier at work.
Gen-X made some progress towards creating healthier workplaces than our parents' workplaces. We pushed for flex-hours, parental leave instead of just maternity leave, working from someplace other than your office, recycling in the workplace, working at a job and playing in bands at night, ditching shoulder pads (we don’t need to look like men. No thank you.).
Now the next generation is pushing for more. That’s healthy and something to support. We should all be okay with people putting work down at the end of the day and focusing on the things that matter to them. They’ll be better workers as a result.