Quiet quitting is a term that went viral on TikTok last year. Despite the name, it doesn’t mean actually quitting your job, but rather doing the bare minimum to keep it, and putting in no more time, effort, or enthusiasm than absolutely necessary. In short, it refers to mentally checking out of work.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought the quiet quitting phenomenon into the spotlight as it flipped the world of work upside down. The pandemic not only disrupted everyone's lives with restrictions and a lockdown on public gatherings; it also gave people time to think about their career choices and seek a better work-life balance, according to LinkedIn's Global Talent Trends 2022 report.
Quiet quitters are still fulfilling their job duties; they’re just not subscribing to 'work is life' culture to guide their career and stand out to their superiors. They stick to what is in their job description, not going above or beyond, and set boundaries so when they go home, they leave work behind them and focus on non-work activities.