“Quiet Quitting” is a term that has emerged from TikTok – rising in popularity on the app over the last few months. It is usually explained as an employee not attempting to exceed their bosses’ expectations and be impressive, as an alternative to quitting their job. Employees who engage in this simply complete their tasks. This term has become national news, being explored in articles published by the New York Times, the New Yorker, and other national news publications.
This trend seems to be a way Gen-Z is changing society’s attitude towards hustling. I believe that this concept has existed prior to its inception on TikTok. By putting a name to this concept, it has reinforced how the cycle of a typical five days a week, 9-5 job can be draining and leave no room for work-life balance. The push of hustle culture has winded down as our society emphasizes the importance of self-care and happiness over being overworked and driven largely by income. The shift from mindset hustle culture may pose a challenge for certain employees as the cost of living in cities like New York is expensive and homelessness resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic is still prevalent.
I believe quiet quitting is a privilege. People that have less financial stability have to work harder to get promoted and earn a higher pay to support themselves and/or their families. People of color and non-women of color have to be over-achievers in the workplace to demonstrate that they belong there and weren’t chosen for the sake of diversity. There are also individuals who go above and beyond with the tasks they are given for self-fulfillment.
As a person belonging to different minority groups, quiet quitting is a privilege I am not afforded. I am not claiming that minorities cannot quiet quit or that doing so stands in their way of being successful. I am saying that it is not a one-size fits all approach and employees of all backgrounds should reflect on their career and life before trying it out. It’s important to keep in mind that the workplace culture hasn’t completely changed yet, but it slowly is as more Gen-Z individuals enter it.