In July and August 2022, many videos discussing workplace responsibilities appeared on Tik Tok. Many people said that their work has crossed the boundary between work and life. Many netizens commented directly expressing their dissatisfaction with the current workplace and their "protest" - quiet quit.
The term "quiet quitting" refers to employees who put no more effort into their jobs than absolutely necessary. In an NPR article, critics of this term say that quiet quitting is a misnomer for setting boundaries at work and having a healthy work-life balance.
On Tik Tok people post their thoughts about quiet quitting. It's not a literal resignation, they're still in office. Quiet quitters are unwilling to go beyond the job description and do only the bare minimum. This represents people's desire for a balance between work and life, the desire to get due rewards from work, and the desire to promote their positions through hard work.
In reality, many things do not go our way, not to mention the staggering inflation that the United States saw in 2022. According to CouponBirds' research, the inflation rate in the United States increased by about 7% during 2020 to 2022, rising at an alarming speed.
In order to deal with inflation, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates frantically in 2022. Although the current inflation rate has dropped from a high of 9% in the summer of 2022 to 6.41% in January this year, American people have been greatly impacted.
The 30-year fixed rate mortgage average in 2022 quickly soared to levels last seen during the 2008 financial crisis, according to the Federal Reserve. The latest figure on March 2 this year was 6.65%, and on March 5 last year it was 3.29%. This has greatly increased the burden of repaying the mortgage. Rising prices and increased spending on groceries have also weighed on the populace.
A TikTok creator plays a manager and an employee in her video, and the employee's lines illustrate how inflation leads to quiet quitting. "Well. Our company gave me a 2% yearly raise. But Inflation is 9%, so that means I'm basically getting a pay cut based on purchasing power."
#Quiet quitting, the hashtag on Tik Tok, gained 97.6 million total video views in September, 2022. And now it has 499.8 million views (on March 7, 2022). In the video comments belonging to this hashtag, we can know other micro reasons.
Quiet quitting represents the position of employees, and the more they stick to it, the more they will be respected. A netizen named @lookatmyfeeh said that his quiet quitting did not reduce his wages, everything was as usual, but the stress was less. Another netizen replied to him, saying that he got a promotion opportunity after 6 months of quiet quitting.
Quiet quitting is a riposte to inhumanity in the workplace. A Tik Tok user @misstinaleigh commented: "I went through kidney failure, lost one of my kidneys and got asked if I could work the next day after my surgery. I left that job." The lack of empathy on top of the lack of livable wages makes working unbearable.
Remember the Great Resignation in 2021? This is due to low or stagnation of wages, high living costs, higher concerns to health, and desire for remote work, and of course burnout. In 2022, those who still stay in the job may not resign during the Great Resignation but choose to stay in the post.
They may be forced to continue working in the state of quiet quitting for various reasons. Because not everyone has a material foundation for leaving, they still need money, but they can't stand the poisonous workplace and inhumane manager.
We can regard quiet quitting as the continuation of Great Resignation, which is essentially a manifestation of employees' dissatisfaction with the workplace. Quiet quitting reflects the urgent needs of a benign workplace environment (especially culture), rather than employees who are unwilling to pay more effort.
Employees hope to get the support and feedback from their manager, get growth opportunities and rewards, which often supports employees to maintain high-level productivity. In addition, employers should focus on long-term interests, not only to shape the brand image, but also to boost the loyalty and morale of employees with practical actions. These measures can improve employee satisfaction.
Having regular career chats to learn about interest, current or expected challenges, and more.
Setting boundaries surrounding work hours. Do not disturb employees after duty.
Conduct skills training meetings according to business needs.
Enhance pay transparency. Clarify the amount and level of wages and subsidies.
Share the results of company development in various ways, such as office facilities optimization, annual bonus, travel, etc.
Allow remote work and increase flexibility in working hours.
Provide an annual physical exam.
Don't force employees who are ill to return to work if they are not well.
