Image credits: zaidleppelin According to workplace expert Lynn , there’s another factor that led to the rise of quiet quitting as a trend.“Younger generations have watched their overachieving parents allow work stress to consume them.They don’t understand the notion that working endlessly for them has been a badge of honor,” she told Bored Panda.“In the broader sense, this workplace trend is understandable because, for so many decades, hustle was king.Baby boomers have been iconic of this belief system.
It’s not surprising that a priority shift is occurring in reaction to the excesses of work.That said, it’s a matter of gaining control and boundaries,” the expert said.Lynn noted that quiet quitting can be interpreted in several ways.
“If the trend were renamed, ‘The New Boundary Setting,’ it would sound much more palatable.If you’re now able to set boundaries that protect your mental and physical health, then quiet quitting just means being prudent.It’s a helpful way to operate if you tend to be an overachiever, too.The mentality of giving less could actually bring you to a healthier level of work ethic; more within the bell curve,” she explained to Bored Panda.
“At the other extreme, is a segment of quiet quitters who are standing up to anything that requires extra effort.And sometimes you have to put in extra time to get the job done, not to mention get ahead.If being a quiet quitter means you have pent-up anger towards business and society putting too much emphasis on work, and you rigidly refuse to work beyond the call, that can hurt your career.That’s especially true in a recessionary period, where unemployment is higher,” she noted that there different ways how people approach quiet quitting.
“The final factor is that the job market has been relatively strong in the last few years.That fueled the Great Resignation and less employee loyalty.Workers are standing their ground in general.Leaner times could change all that.” Workplace expert Lynn pointed out that when employees can’t find purpose or meaning in their jobs, productivity and the economy both suffer.
“It has more serious ramifications than seen at face value.Workers need to feel they’re contributing to a larger purpose, especially today.Otherwise, it’s human nature to do the minimum required.Employee engagement begins with your job search.Now more than ever, workers need to find jobs that resonate with them,” she said.
“Not enough attention has been placed on the impact your boss and coworkers have on engagement.As I suggest in my book, ‘ Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job,’ employees don’t leave jobs, they leave people.The people with whom you work must inspire you.But you are responsible to find the right opportunity… and to keep building on it.” According to Lynn, more money doesn’t always mean more satisfaction at work.“While the Great Resignation has been an opportunity for greener pastures and employee pushback, ironically more money has not always equated to more engagement or contentment at work.There has been significant evidence that among those who joined this contingent, there have been regrets.Hence the importance of focusing on the people factor when seeking happiness in your job.” Some people took issue with the term itself and thought that it’s just literally doing the job you’re paid to do and setting healthy boundaries.
