Quiet quitting: Work in moderation but not mean without purpose
Written by Aghnia Hilya | Read in Indonesian
"I'm tired of working as much as I used to when I first entered. Now just work according to the portion, do what is my task, when it's finished, that's it. After the pandemic, it feels even more like life, you don't just work, what if you work at home it's like you don't have working hours,” complained M (26), a private employee who realized that they were implementing what is now called quiet quitting.
It is undeniable that what M is doing may also be done by some current office workers. Although the term quiet quitting has been widely discussed lately, the practice has been around for a long time. Yes, taken literally, quiet quitting is quitting, but it's not really that simple.
The term quiet quitting started to appear in conversations when the TikTok video uploaded by Zaid Khan (@zkchillin) went viral on July 26. In this video that has been liked by more than 490 thousand people, Zaid explains that quiet quitting is a concept where someone leaves the idea of "going above and beyond" at work.
“You are no longer embracing the hustle-culture mentality where work is your life,” Zaid says in the video. “Work is not your life. Your self-worth is not determined by your productivity results," he wrote in the video, which has been shared more than 42,000 times.
Simply put, quiet quitting is the concept of working in moderation. Quiet quitters (a term for workers who do quiet quitting) still fulfill their responsibilities, tasks, work, to their targets, but are reluctant to get involved further. No overtime after hours, getting in early, showing up for non-mandatory meetings, to answering work or emails on weekends or holidays.
In the past, when I had to go to the office, working hours were 09.00-18.00 and after that everyone was busy with personal matters. However, now that you can work from home, everything can be done at the same time. Some people can, and the results are good, but are their mental conditions still okay?
An Inc and Go survey last May of 1,001 workers found that 77% felt overwork was detrimental to their work-life balance. Imagine, 49% more stressed, 42% emotionally exhausted, 40% physically exhausted, 39% sleep deprivation, and 38% do not have free time.
Not surprisingly, 71% of full-time workers overwork at least once a week and 48% of respondents several times a week. In fact, 5% of them are overworked for 6-7 days per week.
There are various forms of excessive work experienced by respondents, ranging from working overtime (53%), working on holidays or weekends (46%), working too long hours (48%), changing tasks or priorities (43%), working with high intensity or pressure (56%), to excessive workload (28%).
The decision to do quiet quitting initially stems from discomfort. The first is when they realize that expectations don't match, which leads to demotivation. Psychologist Ammy Kadarharutami revealed another reason workers do quiet quitting. According to her, workers will work sufficiently because they no longer want to give 24 hours to work.
“In the office, it looks like it works, while at home it doesn't. In the end, all you see is the result. So, they got to the point, they just had to give results, not everything followed. Especially if the worker is really stressed, feels like he doesn't have time, to the point of wanting to burnout. At that time they thought, how come I'm running out of time for work? I don't have one myself? That's why they're so limiting, "explained Ammy.
A choice, not a situation one is stuck in
M said that they dared to take the decision to work sufficiently, not without calculation. "I realized that the office pays me that much, the work increases but the salary doesn't. So, I'd better do some work there, then take a side job for extra."
“Besides, even though I work moderately and may not seem as diligent or ambitious as I used to be, my target is still being met. I'm trying to get home teng-go with the work that's been done," they added.
Yes, like what M does, generally quiet quitters want to focus on their time outside of work, whether in the morning before work or at night after work, to do other things, be it a hobby, spending time with family, or a side job.
So, do quiet quitters always get stuck because they are in an uncomfortable condition? Apparently, not necessarily. Ammy said, "Feeling trapped is when he (the worker) decides to quiet quitting because his decision is carried away emotionally."
Doing quiet quitting consciously and based on various considerations can be beneficial and profitable. However, if done without taking into account the risks in the future, quiet quitting can lead to regret and add to your thoughts.
“If you make a decision because you are trapped emotionally, it provokes new problems. If you want to do it, you must have a goal so you can manage risk. After all, quiet quitting is when the workers are thinking about themselves more and there is nothing wrong with that,” concluded Ammy.
Makes one happy, looks bad
HR Professional & Content Creator Samuel Ray also says that quiet quitting has several advantages. “So they have more time outside of work, because those who do quiet quitting only work according to the SOP, go home on time, and spend more time at home. They can be more exploratory, part time or freelancing, or even find a new job.”
However, Samuel and Ammy emphasized that quiet quitters need to do self-evaluation and determine their career goals first. The reason is, a career must take you towards a certain goal. The moment when doing quiet quitting can also be a time of self-reflection.
On the other hand, quiet quitting can also harm your career. The bad possibility is that the worker gets a bad appraisal in the eyes of the boss because he is considered unreliable, lacks enthusiasm, works mediocre, and has no ambition.
This is because quiet quitter maintains performance at an acceptable standard. As a result, when workers decide to give what they can, they cannot expect more.
Samuel also said, if workers do quiet quitting not for emotional reasons, then it will not interfere with their performance. They can focus more on finding a new job because they don't have any emotional reasons that hinder their development. When a quiet quitter no longer feels like they can grow in their office, they develop themself and slowly move on.
Communication continues
At the end of the day, quiet quitting is an option. A worker doing moderate work is also an option
While still wanting to work in that place, “Communication still has to be worked out. Although what we get may not be 100%, but that is part of maturation as an office employee. If we tell you, then one quarter with no results, try communicating again. Don't let it be for a while because nothing happens immediately quiet quitting, "explained Samuel.
Ammy even advised workers to communicate to their superiors if they were going to do quiet quitting. However, pay attention to how. Communicate the decision in a subtle way and include logical and realistic reasons so that even superiors can understand. Don't look indifferent, he said.
Quiet quitters can also give examples of how to manage work throughout the day to be more effective. In the end, work is just one part of life and not the only one you need to care about. After all, life is a matter of choice.
