After the Great Resignation comes the Quiet Quitting

Quiet quitting is a phenomenon popularized on social media, especially on TikTok.
Unlike its name suggests, quiet quitting is not resigning but consists of doing your job just enough not to get fired.

Let me be clear; this does not mean that employees are doing nothing, slacking, or behaving like a dilettante at work.

This actually means that employees do more than the bare minimum. They do their job professionally with no extra time spent in the office, no more reading professional emails outside of working hours at home, and they refuse to take on responsibilities that are not part of their job description.
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A response to the “hustle culture”?

First, what is the meaning behind “hustling hard”?

To hustle hard is to work in a fast-paced environment that resumes long working hours to achieve goals. It is the art of glorifying long hours and achieving a professional goal at any cost.

But I have a question: Does the end justify all the means?

Beyond the glamorous side of “working long hours,” “working all night long,” and “overachieving” hides a slightly less pretty reality.

I am not saying we should no longer be ambitious, but I am questioning the consequences of the hustle culture.

It ultimately teaches us that overwork is the only way to earn the respect of our peers and that if we aren’t spending every minute of our day doing something productive, we probably don’t have what it takes to be successful.

Being overworked to the point of not having a second for yourself is harmful and counterproductive in the long term.

First, remember that hard work is different from overwork. Hard work is good for our self-esteem and our position in society. On the other hand, overwork has detrimental consequences on our mental and physical health.

However, this trend resonates strongly with Gen Z and millennials who respond to the “hustle culture,” also known as burnout culture or toxic productivity, which normalizes total dedication to one area of life at the expense of others.

The new generation rejects the hustle culture to care for their physical and mental health.
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So, are your hiring processes too long?

Do not panic, dear employers; the famous “quiet quitting” does not mean your offices will be deserted soon and your employees are looking for a new jobs. Quiet quitters want to stop going above and beyond what is asked of them and refuse to do the tasks they are not paid for.

Since the start of the pandemic, there has been a lot of talk about well-being, appreciation at work, recognition, etc. However, some organizations are still struggling to follow through.

According to Maria Kordowicz, assistant professor of organizational behavior at the University of Nottingham, the phenomenon is linked to decreased job satisfaction.

She said it “is related to the aspects of quiet resigning that may be more detrimental: mentally disengaging from a job, being worn out by the amount of work, and the lack of work-life balance many of us experienced during the pandemic.”

According to Kordowicz, this phenomenon echoes the “great resignation” affecting the country. Quiet quitting might actually be another way to quit your job.
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A simple solution

When work takes up all of our time, all of our to-do lists, and ultimately dictates our lives, we suffer socially, emotionally, and spiritually.

We need to understand what is good for you and your well-being. Overwork leads to burnout and health problems.


1 - Set limits in your daily tasks by defining an achievable to-do. Within a realistic time frame and with healthy working hours.

2 - Take regular breaks that are necessary to keep the brain productive throughout the day.

3 - Cut yourself off from toxic people who make you feel guilty for taking a 10-minute break in your day or taking days off (days you acquired… while working!). You shouldn’t feel guilty for making time to rest and start afresh.
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The important thing is to realize this and find a better work-life balance. Figuring out how much time to take a break can be challenging.

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What we suggest‍

Remote work: Since Covid, more and more employees have the desire to let no longer their work encroach on their private life and are looking for a better balance between their professional and personal life. As such, the phenomenon of quiet quitting is indeed the little cousin of the great resignation.

More fundamentally, we can also see in it a questioning of the corporate world by the younger generation, who want to put an end to what is not acceptable in certain management forms and what their parents may have suffered in their careers .

This is why we believe that full-remote roles could reduce the quiet-quitting by making employees’ work more impactful for them & their organizations.

Remote workers have this extraordinary possibility of being able to manage their working time themselves. As a remote worker myself, I get to organize my working day at my convenience. I get to have my daily workout, cook homemade meals, and maintain a relationship with my family and friends. On the condition, of course, that I carry out the tasks entrusted by the company in due time.

Indeed, remote jobs are less political; they let you have more personal time and enjoy a work/life balance. And since employees have the option to work from anywhere, setting boundaries will be easier for them.


Here at Stakha, we believe that remote is the future of work; we believe that through constant communication, an outstanding work-life balance, and excellent company culture, we will achieve a healthy work environment.

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