Quiet Quitting is no new term in the labor force, as it has been with us for quite some time. However, if you are still uninformed on how it started causing waves in the past months, see what made quiet quitting a hot and important topic.
It is a topic that has opened the eyes of workers and current job seekers to how to behave in their places of work according to how they are treated. It has also helped a lot of workers achieve better work-life balance and avoid burnout by doing only the tasks they are supposed to and at convenient times.
Many workers now work better and are happier than ever, knowing they are not doing beyond and above. Some are even practicing career cushioning to have a “soft landing” if they ever get in trouble quiet quitting.
What are the Causes of Quiet Quitting?
Many workers are “quiet quitters” for a bunch of reasons. Some are directly related to the workplace, while the rest are for personal reasons. Knowing these as an employer will help you improve the welfare of workers so you can reduce the number of “quiet quitters” at your workplace.
Low Pay
Too low wages are one of the main causes of quiet quitting. Workers are “working their behind off” to get the company the required results, but instead of the employers rewarding them accordingly, they keep all the profits to themselves.
Many employees have been advocating for larger pay for years in their places of work with no success, so they give up and lose the motivation to work at a point.
As a good employer, you should cultivate the habit of increasing your employees’ wages every few years as your business grows. Because this growth, most of the time, means more work for each employee and motivation now and then would be nice.
Inflation also reduces the purchasing power of a worker’s income and may cause quiet quitting since the wages can no longer sustain them. Such an employee would start cushioning their career while quitting the job quietly and finally leaves when the backup plan is sustainable.
Lack of Flexible Hours
The majority of workers in the US suffer from overworking and burnout. This is because many employers take up so much of their time that they have no work-life balance. They are mostly too tired from the workload to participate in other activities with family and friends since they have to prepare for the next workday. Some even have to come in on weekends.
Additionally, when most workers work overtime, employers may refuse to pay. Some feel entitled to their employees’ whole day and cannot pay above the 9-5 wages. They feel if the employees were more efficient, they would have completed the tasks within the business time.
Thus, it causes workers to engage in “quiet quitting” to have a work-life balance. Some of them start taking on remote work while refusing to do more work than they are paid for at their current workplaces. With this, they are not afraid of getting fired since they have already cushioned their career.
Inadequate Work Benefits
The lack of work benefits like life insurance, fringe benefits, paid vacations, disability, paid time off, dental, etc., is one of the main reasons there are quiet quitters. Workers want something to appreciate their efforts aside from their salary or wages they have worked for.
An employer with no work benefits will find it hard to gain the loyalty of its employees because there are no motivations or incentives in the relationship.
Thus, employees will not bother going beyond and above to get their jobs done but rather give the employer his money’s worth. This type of worker will not accept unpaid overtime jobs, won’t do more tasks than stated and agreed upon in their contract with the company, and won’t be loyal to the employer.
Lack of Promotion or Career Progress
Another cause of quiet quitting among workers is the lack of career progress. Many workers have been working tirelessly to improve their careers, but the firms they are with are not helping.
Most organizations are only concerned about their profit and refuse to help their employees have career growth. They refuse to give them promotions because of favoritism and do not expose them to opportunities that could help their career.
This is enough to make a worker lose interest in going above and beyond for the business.
As a good employer, always try to carry every hardworking in your organization along. Endeavor to give them the promotion they deserve faster and introduce them to opportunities that will improve their careers. Many successful business people have linked their successes to promoting the right employees on time, making them give better value to the business.
Bottom Line
The causes of quiet quitting are mostly the actions and inactions of the employers of labor. If workers get the right treatment, they have no reason not to do their jobs well or hold back their input.
Thus, the right way to eliminate quiet quitting in your team is to hear their voices and treat them better. Firing workers will not do you any good in the long run.
