'Quiet quitting' is nothing new — and bad managers are to blame, a new survey finds

Half of your co-workers may have quietly quit for a decade.

"Quiet quitting" is a trend that has been sweeping the internet this year after a story about coasting culture was published in March.

There is a fierce online debate about the term. Employees who quietly quit are either slacking or refusing to work beyond their job description.

The trend is not new according to researchers at Gallup.

Jim Harter, the researcher who headed up the survey of just over 15,000 Americans, says that "quiet quitters" are workers who are disengaged or unhappy with their job.

Over the past two years, quiet quitters have accounted for at least 50% of the US workforce, according to the research.

The percentage of engaged workers dropped and the percentage that are actively disengaged grew as a result of mass quit rates in the second half of 2021, according to Harter.

In the first half of this year, employee engagement took a hit.

The proportion of engaged employees in the US workforce dropped to a six-year low of 32% while the proportion of actively disengaged workers hit a six-year high of 18%.

Harter said that people have become less clear about what they want from work, feel less cared for by their employers, and are less connected to the company's purpose.

He thinks there is a lack of trust between employees and their employers.

Harter said that employee engagement has fallen among younger workers.

New freedoms brought on by remote work and a strong labor market have made it easier for workers to speak out about their lives.

Quiet quitters are not good for anyone in the long run.

Most jobs today require some extra effort to collaborate and meet customer needs. He said that it is a problem for individuals because they are involved in work.

Referring work is not a good idea.

It's not a good idea to contribute to a culture of overwork by fixing this. Harter believes that the blame lies with how management roles have changed.

He said that managers' jobs need to be simpler to take care of the basics.

Managers need to speak to employees in a meaningful way at least once a week to discuss goals, recognize good work, and get to know the person's strengths and work-life situation.

He believes that leaders can stop quiet quitting if they focus on the right things.