In employees putting their collective foot down, setting boundaries that honor their priorities and values, and asking for a humanity-driven work environment a totally inaccurate, negative, rather insulting term has been born. Enough. Let’s call it what it is. #gaslighting
I’ve spent this week with a multi-generational client group who, thankfully, hadn’t heard the term “quiet quitting” until today. When I provided an overview and explained it was a bit of a misnomer – actually, a totally inaccurate term – they snort laughed. That’s right. As a collective group they asked, “What ridiculousness is this? What entitled executive or muti-media chain invented this foolishness?!”
It was a delightful, spot-on response.
Can we PLEASE stop using this inaccurate term that, in my observation, attempts to minimize four very real issues in today’s workplace? Because, in mashing them together into an eye-popping catchphrase, we’ve managed to minimize the following issues that require attention, discussion, and solution-based thinking:
1. Burnout – how are you addressing this as an organization?
2. Disengagement – what is your engagement strategy?
3. Work-Life Balance – how are your leaders setting the example, honoring time off, and not expecting a 24/7 workforce?
4. Rewards/Recognition/Pay – are you truly paying people for the work you are expecting and asking for, and how are you recognizing your top performers?
When an employee sets healthy, appropriate boundaries for their own mental health and well-being, it shouldn’t be labeled as a negative behavior. We should pay attention to the fact that we – the employers, media outlets, think tanks, pundits – have backed them into this corner, while they are still recovering from the whiplash of the pandemic, and the disaster of return to office policies, while figuring out how to navigate new social norms.
If we don’t put an end to this #quietquitting label, and address the true, root causes head-on we only risk further disengaging our future workforce.
What re-engagement strategies do you recommend?
