Quiet Quitting – Now Is Not The Time
Although initially coined in 2009, it wasn’t’ until about 18 months ago that the term began to be in widespread use. It can be defined in a wide variety of related ways:
- The art of not taking work too seriously
- Doing the least amount of work one can get away with
- Reducing the amount of effort devoted to one’s job
- Doing just enough to not get fired
Or more generously:
Improving your work-life balance
In the turmoil created by the pandemic, Quiet Quitting blossomed – in part because there was a shortage of workers, which meant that workers could “get away” with more than they had previously, and in part because the myriad disruptions to normality led many to reexamine some of the givens that had defined their life’s trajectory. But the days of Quiet Quitting may be coming to an end.
Business Insider, a respected financial website, last month alerted its readers to a change in the labor outlook:
“For over a year, companies have had one big complaint: Nobody wants to work anymore. Now, though, the tide seems to be turning. Firms have shifted to talking about getting rid of their staff to save costs, and becoming leaner”.
A recession seems to be looming, which will reinforce the swing away from the labor shortage. So if job security is an important factor (and it certainly is for most workers, though here in DC the government offers good protection), now’s the time to start doing more, going “above and beyond.” Separately it’s also the time to seek work that can reengage you. Work’s too important a component of existence to coast or snooze. And. Relatedly, turn up the dial on professional networking, reinforcing existing relationships and creating new ones that can be valuable if and when the expected downturn arrives.