A new work-life trend is taking over TikTok, but the “quiet quitting” trend isn’t precisely as it appears.
Anti-work sentiments have been on the rise for several years now, prompted in part by the pandemic, as more employees take a stand against abusive workplace behavior. Things like low wages, excessive hours, and unsavory working conditions are increasingly motivating employees to depart their former jobs, sometimes without new positions lined up. The phenomenon has been dubbed the “Great Resignation,” and it has seen workers leave in droves. As a result, businesses around the globe are struggling to keep positions filled, and job openings are rife.
Not everyone can afford to quit outright, however. Forward-thinking employees with too many financial obligations to simply shed their only source of income have no choice but to stay employed, and thus have found a new workaround. This method has been dubbed “quiet quitting” on TikTok, where huge swathes of creators are taking part.
What is ‘quiet quitting?’
The “quiet quitting” trend doesn’t actually involve quitting one’s job, but rather a shift in approach. In America in particular, workplace culture relies heavily on the notion that more work is always expected. Americans have a tendency to work harder and for longer than citizens of most any other country. Our workdays tend to last longer, and our jobs demand more of us.
This has led to sky-high burnout among a number of American employees, many of whom are finding themselves overworked, underpaid, and utterly exhausted by their situations. This has led some people to shed current positions for better prospects, but not everyone is so fortunate. Instead, they’re taking part in the quiet-quitting trend.
Quiet quitting involves staying at one’s job, but ceasing any extra effort. Instead of adhering to America’s often pervasive—and false—ideals about hard work yielding high returns, a section of the workforce is simply meeting the bare minimum. Instead of grinding away at work, putting in extra hours and effort, workers are simply phoning it in. They still show up to work, they still make sure their basic expectations are met, but they no longer go above and beyond. The behavior is unlikely to earn them a promotion or a raise anytime soon, but it’s also unlikely to get them fired. They’re leaving hustle culture behind in favor of doing exactly—and only—what they’re paid to do.
The idea of simply pulling back on effort and giving the bare minimum is becoming increasingly popular on TikTok, where users are flocking to share their own tales of quiet quitting.
The trend also is prompting a wave of responses from professionals and career coaches, all of whom are taking the time to weigh in on the merits of quiet quitting. Many maintain that hard work will eventually pay off, but workers are increasingly disillusioned with this notion. A huge number of people have spent years in the same position, laboring away in hopes of eventually earning higher pay and a loftier job title. When this fails to pay off, it’s reasonable to lose faith in the process and ditch the grind culture for good.
A few nuggets of genuinely good advice are scattered among the informative quiet-quitting videos, as career coaches and HR representatives weigh in with their thoughts. Like user @tgimcareers, who noted that she feels quiet quitting is a “coping mechanism,” and thus an unhealthy choice in the long term. She points out that, if you’ve reached the point of quiet quitting, it seems likely that your job is a poor fit for you. The unfortunate reality is that many people don’t have the luxury of leaving an unhealthy work environment for something better. They simply have to make the most of what they have.
Other users, like @jennylowryy, are pointing out that “hustle culture has become so ingrained” that “choosing to only do the job you’re actually paid to do is now being described as a form of quitting.” In some senses, the idea of quiet quitting is a condemnation of hustle culture in general.
Regardless of your thoughts on the matter, the quiet-quitting trend is gaining speed on TikTok, as more and more creators ditch the hustle to focus on what they really want out of life. Even if this is nothing but a shift away from the constant grind, it seems like a necessary change.