What Is ‘Quiet Quitting’ (and Should You Really Do It)?

Quiet quitting says the Great Resignation could be more of a whisper than a bang. Quiet quitting is a more subtle way to achieve better balance between work and life.

Blair Heitmann says that quiet quitting is doing your job at the bare minimum. It is the latest move away from hustle culture for many. It could mean seeking some more appropriate boundaries at work, like leaving work on time every day, or it could mean saying no to projects outside of your job description.

People are looking for more work life balance. According to Heitmann, a survey found that 40% of Americans felt burned out during the Pandemic. One in three US workers would consider a pay cut if the job offered better work-life balance or more enjoyable work, according to a study.

If this is true for you, you may be wondering if you should quit your job. Here are some things to consider if you are struggling with quitting your job or just implementing better boundaries.

Should you start quiet quitting?

Heitmann says that if you are quiet quitting because you need more work-life balance and are still meeting expectations at work, this can be a good move. Changes that allow you to spend more of your time on areas where you can make the most impact will help you to be happy at your job.

Heitmann says it might be time to find a new job if you quit because you aren't happy at work or don't meet expectations of your role. Heitmann suggests asking yourself these questions if you don't know what to do.

• Is there enough work-life balance? Do you have healthy boundaries?
• Can you grow? Can you learn?
• Are you proud of the workplace culture? Do you have influence?

Write down what you want it to accomplish. She says that it's important to do some soul-searching before you quit, tender your resignation, or ask for a change in role.

Cross reference the two lists and ask yourself if you can improve the job. Is there any area where you can add more balance? You might be able to improve your job situation by asking these questions.

• Could you arrange more work-from-home days, or more flexible hours?
• Are there on-the-job-training opportunities available to help you up-level your skills, or company-paid access to learning resources?
• Could you transfer to another department where you can explore a new role with different opportunities.
• Perhaps you could work for a different team or boss?

How to set better boundaries for yourself at work

If you don't have the ability to set boundaries for yourself, Heitmann suggests evaluating if you're spending time on the important things at work, or if you're getting dragged into work that you could let go of. You should have an open and honest conversation with your manager to make sure you are focused on the right areas.

Heitmann suggests blocking your calendar before or after work hours to make sure you don't get pulled into meetings.

It is important that you turn off when you are off. Professionals used to have a commute to help them transition between work and personal time, but with so many working remotely, this transition has been lost. If you want to transition from work to personal life, you need to establish a new pattern. Try to shut down your computer at a certain time so you don't have to check your email after hours.

How to approach your manager if you are thinking of quiet quitting

Quiet quitting isn't going to get you longterm results and doesn't address the bigger issue of striking the right balance between work and life Heitmann says that open and honest communication with your manager will allow you to work through any issues you may be having.

She says to use self-reflection, including all the questions you posed to yourself about your work priorities, to help guide a conversation with your manager. Better respect for off-hours time and shorter work days are things you can ask for.