After all the changes in the working world, quiet quitting appeared as a response to the hustle culture. There’s a thin line between quiet quitting and setting boundaries, employees claim. But the question that arises is whether quiet quitting is just a response to the quiet firing.
What is quiet quitting?
Even though the name suggests that people are quitting, it actually means that an employee performs the duties assigned to them and does not go above and beyond what their job description requires them to do. We can say that employees changed their perspectives on jobs due to work-related stress during the pandemic. Does this mean that the hustle culture is over? It might be because the quiet quitting is completely the opposite, employees are shifting their focus back to setting boundaries at work and ensuring a better work-life balance. So, what does quiet quitting look like in practice? Employees are learning to say no to the additional responsibilities at work and not checking emails outside office hours.
Reasons for quiet quitting
With Gen-Z entering the workforce when the pandemic hit, the whole perspective has shifted. People realized during the pandemic how important the work-life balance is and once physical offices were back, many saw how much time they were wasting commuting, while they were more efficient when working from home. The first consequence was the great resignation trend and when inflation hit the economy, the workforce turned to quiet quitting. For instance, from 2019 to 2022 the percentage of engaged employees under the age of 35 dropped by six percent. During this time, the percentage of actively disengaged employees increased by the same number.
However, all of this doesn’t mean that everyone is on board with quiet quitting and there is no reason for employers to be afraid of this trend. Many HR managers agreed that new recruits and people coming to job interviews are eager to start working. One of the main reasons detected for quiet quitting is poor management. Surprisingly, the statistic shows that only one in three managers are engaged at work. This means that the leadership needs a new set of skills to adjust to the new hybrid environment. Managers should learn how to address disengagement and burnout, to help employees overcome the issues. Research shows that only one meaningful conversation per week with team members can help the engagement.
The other flip of the coin…
Now while everyone’s been buzzing about the quiet quitting trend, it seems that quiet firing was not that popular. The quiet firing means that employers are avoiding to provide anything but the legal minimum to the employees with the goal of getting unwanted workers to quit. In practice, employers might not provide employees with salary raises for years, neglect to give feedback, block employees from promotion, treat them differently from the rest of the team, have inconsistent performance standards, etc.
This whole thing looks like employers and employees are daring one another to end the contract. And the fact is, remote work is offering the opportunity for both. But should either party be afraid of it? Definitely not! There are much more advantages of hiring remotely than disadvantages. Especially now when the borders are no longer a limitation for hiring and you don’t even have to have an entity in a foreign country. All you need is an EoR/PEO service provider who will help you with the full process of hiring and managing your employees. There’s no risk of quiet quitting there.
With EuroDev, you can hire abroad fast without worrying about setting up an entity. You will stay compliant in every European country of your choice and you will have an excellent team experienced to offer necessary HR support. Let’s chat about next steps for your hiring in Europe.
About EuroDev
EuroDev, established in 1996 with offices in The Netherlands, has a single, defined purpose to help mid-sized North American companies expand their business in Europe. We have created a proven, successful business development model and since our founding, have partnered with over 500 companies to help them define and meet their European business goals. Services provided include Sales Outsourcing, HR Outsourcing, and Digital Marketing.
Disclaimer: While we strive to provide accurate and timely information, please note that HR policies and regulations can change frequently. It is recommended that you seek guidance from our HR consultants to ensure that the data presented here is current and accurate.
Source: Gallup, The Washington Post, Bloomberg
