Do you remember the movie Office Space? In the 1999 cult classic, the lead character, Peter, has a soul-destroying office job and, after a traumatic hypnotherapy session, decides the answer to his work woes is to refuse all requests to work overtime–something he would have accepted before–and to no longer go above and beyond at work. And Joanna, the female lead, berated by her manager for wearing too little “flair” on her uniform (even though he grudgingly concedes she is wearing at least the required amount), endures supervision that makes her job more miserable than it might otherwise be. 

These are examples of what we have come to call “quiet quitting,” as in the example of Peter’s decision, where one does only the bare minimum required to keep their job, and “quiet firing,” as in the example of Joanna’s situation, where managers treat employees poorly to encourage them to quit. Claire Barnes, the chief human capital officer at the employment platform Monster, brought up the movie and its prescient portrayal of the current debate over “quiet quitting” in a presentation at From Day One’s September virtual conference.

Former generations of employees embraced the work ethic of “first in, last out,” and saying yes to any and all requests. Barnes mentioned the oft-quoted Elon Musk statement to the effect that nothing revolutionary comes from putting in a 40-hour week. “When I was a junior HR assistant, I came at the same time or earlier than my boss every day and left at the same time or later. No one set that expectation for me, but I picked up that this was the culture of the organization,” Barnes said.

But has that way of working reached its peak? A recent Gallup poll showed that at least half of American workers fit the definition of quiet quitting, and the number has grown by more than 25% since before the onset of the pandemic. 

Why Are We Talking About This Now?

Many employees believe they have the upper hand, said Barnes. “Despite the fact that we live in fear of recession, we remain in an incredibly tight labor market,” she said. “Most of us who are employers or who are trying to hire and retain employees feel the pain of talent scarcity on a day-to-day basis. If you look at the statistics in the U.S. today, there are two job openings for every unemployed American. Employees are more confident that they'll still have their job tomorrow, so it doesn’t really matter if they do the minimum today.”

On the other hand, there are people who want to quit, but can’t afford to. The increasing financial pressure related to inflation and an increasing cost of living is already affecting employees. “Eighty percent of job seekers say that inflation is affecting their career decisions,” Barnes said. Mortgage rates are at a 14-year high, and the cost of renting a single-family home is up to almost $2,500 per month, according to House Canary. “Some people are stuck in a cycle of wanting to leave employment, but not being able to.”

The main reasons people do quit, according to a study by McKinsey & Company, include everything from being under-compensated to a lack of career development. But Barnes also identified other reasons that differ from those more traditional factors behind one’s decision to change jobs. Among those are a lack of support, a lack of meaningful work, and uncaring and uninspiring leadership; the latter is the third-biggest reason for leaving. “It’s a well-known fact that employees stay or leave companies because of their managers,” she said, “and a Gallup survey found that 70% of employee engagement is influenced by managers.”

Barnes pondered the evolution of the attitude that taking on more work, working overtime, or–in Joanna’s case, wearing more flair–is the only way to demonstrate commitment to a job. “What happens if we measure performance and ability, or even potential on the number of hours an employee dedicates to work outside of their standard working hours? What happens if you’re an employee who can’t work that extra time? Or take on work outside of your standard hours? Does that mean you’re not valued? And does it mean you can’t progress in an organization?,” she asked.

“We know that women, and more so women of color, still bear a considerably higher burden of unpaid care outside of work, so if we are judging based only on overtime or taking on extra duties, we are at risk of excluding the diverse groups in our workforce and creating a culture that is not inclusive,” Barnes said. “Why do we view productivity as the number of hours worked, and not the actual work output? Shouldn’t getting the job done within your hours be seen actually as a more productive worker than someone who takes more hours to get the job done?”

Stress is another factor in quiet quitting. Another Gallup survey found that 44% of employees globally experience more stress now than they felt previously, with that number higher now than it was even during the height of the pandemic. Nearly 60% of Americans over 40 feel the same, the survey indicated.

Interestingly, Gen Z feels less stress, which is likely because they are better at setting boundaries and saying no to uncompensated extra work. “They are far more aware of the impact of work on life and their mental health. We also see the youngest generation is the one that prefers splitting their time between working from home and on site and seeking more balance,” said Barnes. 

Five Steps You Can Take Right Now

Barnes offered a short list of suggested solutions:

1.) Make well-being a priority. During the pandemic, a lot of employers made well-being front and center because of what was happening all around them. We have seen some of those benefits trail off as we come out the other side, she said. “When we ask our employees what’s important to them, well-being is front and center,” Barnes said. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but can be as easy as adding recharge or self-care days to the calendar so that employees see you respect their need to look after their mental health. 

2.) Lead by example and show appreciation. It's crucial that managers take the time to listen to their employees and demonstrate care and support. “Yes, they need to be inspiring, but it doesn’t have to be theatrical. It means you have to be authentic and show appreciation.” A survey by Glassdoor, which gathers reviews of employers by workers, found 53% of people believe more appreciation from their boss would help them stay longer at a company. “A simple thank you doesn’t have to cost anything, but it means a lot,” she said.

3.) Focus on development. Recall that one of the main reasons for quitting is a lack of career development. “We found that 45% of workers would feel more valued and more likely to stay at a company if they were offered reskilling or upskilling training.” Like showing appreciation, these programs don’t have to be expensive. They can include experience-led development, coaching, or simply contributing to projects which offer opportunities for development of different skills. 

4.) Create a purpose-led authentic employer value proposition. Defining the purpose of your organization and make sure that’s reflected in the market. “70% of Gen Z workers say they want to work for companies whose values align with their own,” Barnes says. “Think about your company's purpose. What are your values? What is the culture that your organization is creating? How is that reflected in the image portrayed both internally and externally?”

5.) Conduct ‘stay’ interviews. While exit interviews are common, how often do you ask your employees why they are staying? Barnes said that stay interviews are one way of getting feedback from employees. “It doesn’t need to be a prescribed stay interview,” she said. “It can be that you’re having regular conversations with your employees to understand how they’re feeling. Ask them what's frustrating them, what are they fearful of, what are they excited about.”

As long as there is a tight labor market, there will be people who will quiet quit. But those companies that look after their employees’ well-being, embrace their potential, and show appreciation for their efforts are much less likely to suffer the consequences of it. 

Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner who sponsored this Thought Leadership Spotlight: Monster.

Lisa Jaffe is a freelance writer who lives in Seattle with her son and a very needy rescue dog named Ellie Bee. She enjoys reading, long walks on the beach, and trying to get better at ceramics.