Every business wants a productive employee, as one high-performing employee can deliver 400 per cent more work than the average worker. Unfortunately, for many UK businesses, recent data suggests one-third of all employees are quiet quitting.
Quiet quitting, a type of employment activism that originated in China with the “Tang Ping” or “lying flat” movement, has gained popularity abroad. The movement’s growth is linked to social media like TikTok.
What is Quiet Quitting?
Quitting is associated with resigning and ceasing to show up for work at a predetermined date. Disengaging from work responsibilities in this way enables employers to find other talent to fill in the gap.
But quiet quitting is neither resigning nor going AWOL. Instead, quiet quitting is a movement that sees workers refuse to do more than the bare minimum required of their job.
In such a situation, employees are otherwise disengaged from their jobs and are comfortable completing roughly 10 per cent of the work their more engaged or higher-performing colleagues complete.
Rather than resign due to dissatisfaction, these workers understand the importance of job security and have resorted to simply showing up and doing the bare minimum to avoid repercussions.
The Effect of Quiet Quitting on Businesses
Dealing with an “average” performer is a standard part of business. But quiet quitters can drain a company’s financial well-being and is detrimental to the current economic climate.
Quiet quitters often lead a company to bloat their workforce, can impact top performers’ work and can infect the morale of a team with their negative disposition.
Identifying them is also far more complicated
Reengaging Quiet Quitters
All hope isn’t lost; you can reignite quiet quitters, preventing the drain on your bottom line. Many quiet quitters have engaged in the movement because of burnout, a lack of recognition, and poor workplace culture.
Most of this can be resolved by training managers and leaders to be more engaged, empathetic, and encouraging self-sufficiency.
In smaller businesses, managers and leaders should be encouraged to conduct well-being check-ups on their teams, staff should be allotted mental health days above their typical leave, and good work should be recognized and rewarded.
These changes ensure apathy doesn’t take root in the work environment. While they may seem cost-prohibitive, they can help your business avoid falling victim to the £143 billion lost each year to a lack of productivity.
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