If Your Co-Workers Are ‘Quiet Quitting,’ Here’s What That Means
Some Gen Z professionals are saying no to hustle culture; ‘I’m not going to go extra.
Some Gen Z professionals are saying no to hustle culture; ‘I’m not going to go extra.
Not taking your job too seriously has a new name: quiet quitting.
The phrase is generating millions of views on TikTok as some young professionals reject the idea of going above and beyond in their careers, labelling their lesser enthusiasm a form of “quitting.”It isn’t about getting off the company payroll, these employees say. In fact, the idea is to stay on it—but focus your time on the things you do outside of the office.
The videos range from sincere ruminations on work-life balance to snarky jokes. Some set firm boundaries against overtime in favour of family. Others advocate coasting from 9-to-5, doing just enough to get by. Many want to untether their careers from their identities.
Of course, every generation enters the workforce and quickly realizes that having a job isn’t all fun and games. Navigating contemptible bosses and the petty indignities that have always been inflicted on the ranks of working stiffs has never been easy. And many people who say, when they’re young, that they don’t care about climbing the corporate ladder end up changing their minds.
The difference now is that this group has TikTok and hashtags to emote. And these 20-somethings joined the working world during the Covid-19 pandemic, with all of its dislocating effects, including blurred boundaries between work and life. Many workers say they feel they have power to push back in the current strong labour market. Recent data from Gallup shows employee engagement is declining.
Clayton Farris, 41 years old, said that when he recently heard about the new term circulating on social media he realized he’d already been doing it by refusing to let work worries rule over him the way they used to.
“The most interesting part about it is nothing’s changed,” he said in his TikTok video. “I still work just as hard. I still get just as much accomplished. I just don’t stress and internally rip myself to shreds.”
Across generations, U.S. employee engagement is falling, according to survey data from Gallup, but Gen Z and younger millennials, born in 1989 and after, reported the lowest engagement of all during the first quarter at 31%.
Jim Harter, chief scientist for Gallup’s workplace and well-being research, said workers’ descriptions of “quiet quitting” align with a large group of survey respondents that he classifies as “not engaged”—those who will show up to work and do the minimum required but not much else. More than half of workers surveyed by Gallup who were born after 1989—54%—fall into this category.
One factor Gallup uses to measure engagement is whether people feel their work has purpose. Younger employees report that they don’t feel that way, the data show. These are the people who are more likely to work passively and look out for themselves over their employers, Dr. Harter said.
Paige West, 24, said she stopped overextending herself at a former position as a transportation analyst in Washington, D.C., less than a year into the job. Work stress had gotten so intense that, she said, her hair was falling out and she couldn’t sleep. While looking for a new role, she no longer worked beyond 40 hours each week, didn’t sign up for extra training and stopped trying to socialize withcolleagues.
“I took a step back and said, ‘I’m just going to work the hours I’m supposed to work, that I’m really getting paid to work,’” she said. “Besides that, I’m not going to go extra.”
Ms. West said that she found herself more engaged during meetings once she stopped trying so hard, and she received more positive feedback. She left the job last year and is now a full-time freelance virtual assistant making about 75% of her previous salary. She adjusted by moving back to her home state of Florida.
Zaid Khan, a 24-year-old engineer in New York, posted a quiet quitting video that has racked up three million views in two weeks. In his viral TikTok, Mr. Khan explained the concept this way: “You’re quitting the idea of going above and beyond.”
“You’re no longer subscribing to the hustle-culture mentality that work has to be your life,” he said.
Mr. Khan says he and many of his peers reject the idea that productivity trumps all; they don’t see the payoff.
Some online commenters pledged to relax on social media when they had downtime at work. Others say they will follow their job descriptions to the letter, instead of asking for additional assignments.
A new crop of quiet-quitting videos is starting to pop up, denouncing the move as a cop-out, not a cure-all for burnout or discontentment at work.
People who coast have been fixtures of the office for decades, but many of today’s less-invested employees have been able to skate by thanks to remote work, said Elise Freedman, a senior client partner at consulting firm Korn Ferry.
If the economy sours, Ms. Freedman said, less-engaged workers may be more at risk of layoffs. “It’s perfectly appropriate that we expect our employees to give their all,” she said.
Josh Bittinger, a 32-year-old market-research director at a management-consulting company, said people who stumble on the phrase “quiet quitting” may assume it encourages people to be lazy, when it actually reminds them to not work to the point of burnout.
After years of saying “yes” to everything, in hopes of standing out, Mr. Bittinger said he’s learned to say no more, reserves evenings for himself and avoids checking email on vacation.
“I get my job done, my projects done. I’m performing well and I get good feedback,” he said. “And I’m able to still take time to just step away from everything.”
Reprinted by permission of The Wall Street Journal, Copyright 2021 Dow Jones & Company. Inc. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Original date of publication: August 12, 2022.
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Super isn’t your only option. These smart strategies can help you self-fund a comfortable retirement.
Super isn’t your only option. These smart strategies can help you self-fund a comfortable retirement.
Superannuation is the first thought when it comes to self-funding retirement. Yet it is hardly the only option for doing so.
Just as we have a choice in how and where we work to earn a living, many people also have a choice in how to fund their retirement.
It is possible and sometimes preferable to leave your superannuation untouched, allowing it to continue growing. Some or all of your income can come from alternative sources instead.
Here are some alternatives you can consider.
For many who own their own homes, the equity accrued over decades can eclipse the funds in superannuation. However, it’s theoretical money only until it is unlocked.
Selling up the family home and downsizing – or rightsizing – for retirement allows you to pocket those gains tax-free and simultaneously relocate to a more suitable home with lower upkeep costs.
Up to $300,000 from the proceeds can be contributed by a downsizer to boost your super, and the remainder can be used to fund living expenses or actively invested.
Remember that while the sale proceeds of your home are tax-free, any future profits or interest earned from that money will be taxable.
Semi-retirement allows you to gradually step into retirement. You continue earning income and super while working part-time, keeping a foot in the workforce while testing the waters of your new found free time.
Doing so also offers scope to move into different roles, such as passing on your skills to future generations by teaching/training others in your field of expertise, or taking employment in a new area that interests you and is closer to home.
Retirement from a full-time position presents a good opportunity to pursue self-employment. With more time and fewer commitments on your hands, you have greater scope to turn your hobby into a business or leverage your professional skills and reputation as an external consultant.
Also, for the self-employed and those with a family business, director’s loan repayments from the company are typically tax-free, offering a potentially lucrative source of
income and a means of extracting previous investments into the business without selling your ownership stake.
Rental property income (from residential or commercial properties) can supplement or even provide a generous source of income. The same applies to dividends from shares.
These are likely to be more profitable if you own them well before retirement.
Income that is surplus to your everyday needs can be reinvested using tax-effective strategies to grow your future returns.
A family trust could be used to house investments for yourself and other relatives, building intergenerational wealth.
Trusts allow funds to be allocated to beneficiaries to manage marginal tax rates and stretch the money further, you have control over how income is split between different family members and have flexibility for changing circumstances.
You may not realise the value of items you have collected over the years, such as wine, artwork, jewellery, vintage cars, and antiques.
Rather than have them collect dust or pay to store them, they could be sold to fund your living costs or new investments.
Where possible, avoid selling growth assets in a depressed market – wait until you can extract maximum value.
Part-pensions are not only possible but valuable in making your superannuation stretch further. They still entitle you to a concession card with benefits in healthcare, transport, and more.
Take these savings even further by requesting pensioner discounts with other companies, on everything from utilities to travel and insurance to eating out.
Also, don’t overestimate the value of your assets as part of the means test. It’s a common mistake that can wrongly deny you a full or part-pension.
However, you ultimately fund your retirement, planning is crucial. Advice would hopefully pay for itself.
Understand your spending and how those habits will change before and during retirement, then look to investments that offer the best fit.
Consider a mixture of strategies to diversify your risk, manage your tax liabilities and ensure ongoing income.
Above all, timing is key. The further ahead you plan, the more time you have to embrace additional opportunities and do things at the right time to maximise their value. You’ve worked hard and now is your chance to enjoy the fruits of your labour!
Helen Baker is a licensed Australian financial adviser and author of the new book, Money For Life: How to build financial security from firm foundations (Major Street Publishing $32.99). Find out more at www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au
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