The Limitation Of Quiet Quitting

Is quiet quitting truly the answer to employee burnout?

The environment in the workplace is synonymous with hustle culture, and that has become the norm in many workplaces. This culture often puts employees under immense pressure to work long hours and meet unrealistic deadlines. This can lead to employee burnout, which can have a hugely negative impact on employees' physical and mental health.

Hustle culture isn't sustainable. As an executive coach in Singapore, I have the opportunity to work with people at all levels of their careers. I have noticed that while some people thrive in stressful environments, others struggle to keep up with the demands of their jobs. They're so consumed by work that there's no room for anything else in their life apart from work. 

Employee burnout remains an issue plaguing organisations and industries. Every day I see people who are working themselves toward burnout. With quiet quitting on the rise, a question I hear recently in my executive coaching sessions is this: is quiet quitting the solution to employee burnout as others claim it to be?

The Age Of The "Quiet Quitters"

Quiet quitting has gained traction as a way to combat employee burnout. The basic premise is that, instead of resigning in a blaze of glory or putting up with increasing unhappiness at work, employees simply draw strict boundaries when defining working hours and job tasks.

That means working the bare minimum requirements of the job role. It means going only as far as is required and no further. The idea of quiet quitting is controversial, and some say that by doing so, employees are actually shortchanging their companies.

On the flip side, others say that quiet quitting is nothing more than a way for workers to protect themselves in an era when many employers are taking advantage of them. So, is quiet quitting really an acceptable practice, or is it a form of self-sabotage?

How Does Quiet Quitting Reduce Employee Burnout?

Doing the bare minimum does allow them to have more time for rest, pursue passion projects, spend time with family (and not miss important family affairs), avoid being taken advantage of by the company, and protest unfair labour practices.

In fact, setting clear boundaries can be essential to preventing burnout. By communicating expectations and providing clear guidelines, team members can stay focused and motivated on the specific tasks assigned to them, without being distracted by conflicting tasks.

Looking at the bigger picture, quiet quitting can help pressure organizations to reevaluate their policies and practices, which can lead to positive change. Knowing that employees are no longer willing to work beyond what they're paid to do, organizations will be forced to reevaluate their benefits packages and make changes accordingly. They can take these changes one step further and begin investing in training programs to improve employee skills.

The Limitations to Quiet Quitting

From the perspective of an employer and an executive coach, quiet quitting is not a sustainable solution in and of itself, particularly if there are underlying reasons contributing to employee burnout within the team or organisation.

There's no doubt that employees nowadays are resorting to quiet quitting as a last resort (their "SOS" perhaps) in their bid to maintain a work-life balance. But having witnessed many leaders struggling with employee burnout during my executive coaching sessions, I've always maintained the perspective that burnout is not the real challenge at hand.

For one, toxic workplace cultures can breed a sense of competition and insecurity among employees. There's a constant fear of being replaced or outperformed, which can lead to extreme stress and anxiety.

Another contributing factor to employee burnout could also stem from toxic bosses. They may be micromanagers who constantly criticize or nitpick their employees' work. Or they may be disengaged and uninvolved, leaving their employees feeling unsupported and unappreciated.

These underlying factors can create a perfect storm of stress that leads to employee burnout. When push comes to shove, that's when these employees can choose quiet quitting.

Is Quiet Quitting The Way To Go?

Every workplace needs a culture of innovation and excellence to break new ground. To do that, employees and employers alike must commit to a spirit of continuous growth.

Quiet quitting might eventually produce a workforce that does not prioritise championing new initiatives and impede the building of high-performing teams.

With that, we might want to begin asking the right questions about quiet quitting before we can really chart a productive way forward.